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Britain's Biggest Universal Credit Fraud Gang Ordered to Repay Just £2m of £54m
The gang submitted about 6,000 fraudulent claims, stole nearly £54 million, and were ordered to repay only £2 million, about 1% of the total, as recovery efforts continue.
- Reported by The Telegraph, the five defendants — Galina Nikolova, 38, Stoyan Stoyanov, 27, Tsvetka Todorova, 52, Gyunesh Ali, 33, and Patritsia Paneva, 26 — were ordered to return £2 million after the confiscation hearing, roughly 1% of the £53,901,959.82 stolen in Universal Credit fraud.
- Using real people and stolen identities, the gang submitted forged applications to Universal Credit, filing approximately 6,000 false claims from back rooms of three corner shops in Wood Green, north London.
- Raids on north London addresses uncovered hundreds of 'claim packs', £750,000 in cash, and luxury items while Stoyanov stole another £17,000 after detention.
- Last May, all five pleaded guilty and received prison terms adding up to 25 years; all except Gyunesh Ali have since been released and face deportation hearings.
- A Department for Work and Pensions spokesperson said `We take all fraud seriously and last year we saved an estimated �25bn through our prevention and detection activities`, while prosecutors continue efforts to recover stolen funds after much was moved abroad in Britain's largest-ever benefits scam.
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Total News Sources12
Leaning Left3Leaning Right0Center9Last UpdatedBias Distribution75% Center
Bias Distribution
- 75% of the sources are Center
75% Center
L 25%
C 75%
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