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Original poster

Bulgarian UC benefit scammers took at least £50m, possibly £250m per annum, via complex fraud.

108 replies

Papyrophile · 29/05/2024 20:46

There's a trial happening in north London right now, with five Bulgarians in the dock for organising the largest benefit fraud operation ever in the UK. It was detected by the Bulgarian police. Where were the UK authorities during this? Asleep?

A link to the Telegraph, but paywalled, so good luck accessing it. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/05/28/bulgarian-town-boomed-from-uks-biggest-benefits-fraud/

The Bulgarian town that boomed from UK’s biggest benefits fraud

Gang who may have taken hundreds of millions in British welfare caught when inspector noticed sudden rise in wealth

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/05/28/bulgarian-town-boomed-from-uks-biggest-benefits-fraud

OP posts:
Ciderlout · 30/05/2024 13:54

Upupandaway10 · 29/05/2024 21:01

How can this pose even happen? Britain is an absolute joke

It’s disgusting from
start to finish. The amount is eye watering

Ciderlout · 30/05/2024 13:52

Nothinglefttosaynow · 29/05/2024 20:51

This is insane. Are people entitled to British benefits without having to contribute to the system at all? That can't be right surely!?

You would think it couldn’t be right, but no no, anyone and his dog can move here and start claiming…. Absolute joke and to think our own citizens can hardly afford to feed themselves. This is why so many folk voted Brexit.

Original poster
Papyrophile · 29/05/2024 21:20

@TestingTestingWonTooFree that's the only authentication I have had, so thank you. If this scam ran from 2016 until 2021, then it looks like a £250m hole. It's a long way from the usual claims around benefits. I don't object to paying tax to fund education and health and infrastructure, or UK citizens on hard times or with serious health problems, but I draw a line at the thought of funding another country's criminals.

OP posts:
Original poster
Papyrophile · 29/05/2024 21:08

This particular scheme may have been closed but how many replicas are there? Any variations on the same scale?

Given how tough it appears to be to claim benefits legitimately here, how can this be happening?

OP posts:
Original poster
Papyrophile · 29/05/2024 21:03

It was a very carefully run fraud. "Consumers" subscribed two or three months of payment income to the frauds, and then just let the proceeds roll in.

I haven't been able to see any more information than the Telegraph article provides as it's not on the BBC or any other respectable news source.

OP posts:
Upupandaway10 · 29/05/2024 21:01

How can this pose even happen? Britain is an absolute joke

Nothinglefttosaynow · 29/05/2024 20:51

This is insane. Are people entitled to British benefits without having to contribute to the system at all? That can't be right surely!?