Yahoo News The luxury items bought by Britain's £54m benefit scammers
Details have emerged of the high end items and trips purchased by the Bulgarian organised gang following Britain's largest case of benefit fraud.
Five members of an organised gang have been convicted of what the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has described as Britain’s largest case of benefit fraud.
Three women and two men – all Bulgarian – falsely claimed more than £50m in universal credit and spent the money on luxury items and holidays. Galina Nikolova, 38, Stoyan Stoyanov, 27, Tsvetka Todorova, 52, Gyunesh Ali, 33, and Patritsia Paneva, 26, pleaded guilty to fraud and money laundering for their involvement in the multi-million-pound scam on the benefit system.
Between October 2016 and May 2021, the organised crime gang made thousands of false claims for universal credit using either real people or hijacked identities, Wood Green Crown Court heard. The claims were supported by an array of forged documents, including fictitious tenancy agreements, counterfeit payslips and forged letters from landlords, employers and GPs. If the claims were rejected, the fraudsters would try again and again until they were granted.
Three ‘benefit factories’ in London were identified during the investigation where repeated false claims for benefits originated from. The businesses claimed to assist people with obtaining a national insurance number and benefits to which they are entitled.
However, it was found that after applicants made their claims for benefits through these three sources, they then left them in the hands of the organised crime group, who laundered the claims and then withdrawn in cash.
Cars, watches, jewellery
Following the arrests in May 2021, a number of properties were searched as part of the investigation. During these searches, hundred of ‘claim packs’ were found, containing forged and false documents.
Evidence of the gang’s luxurious lifestyle, funded by universal credit, were found. These included bundles of cash stuffed inside shopping bags and suitcases, as well as designer goods including watches, jackets and glasses.
A luxury Audi A8 sports car was also purchased, which can generally cost around £20,000 second hand – and as much as £60,000 for the 2018 model that was bought by the gang.
Trips abroad and spa breaks
The money accumulated by the gang was not just spent on luxury goods – it also funded a lavish lifestyle that included holidays abroad and expensive spa breaks.
Pictures of the trips were posted on social media. In one, Nikolova and Stoyanov posed at a spa in Manchester, while another showed them enjoying a holiday in Turkey.
Videos posted by Nikolova also showed her taking day trips to Aston Hall watching a match at Aston Villa's stadium. Another video posted by Nikolova of the Indonesian beach at Penida Island was posted with the hashtag “#mynextdestination”.
