Gang ‘stole IDs of MPs and judges in bid to con £10m from the taxman’
GETTY Fraudsters planned to con the taxman out of £10m using stolen identities, it has been claimed
Personal details were stolen to order from the files of the Civil Service Sports Council, the Old Bailey was told. After plundering identities from the CSSC’s 10,300-strong membership list, the gang made fraudulent claims for tax credits for four years, it was alleged. They managed to steal nearly £2.5m before Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs spotted the “extraordinarily high rate” of claims from the civil service.
If the scam had not been stopped by the HMRC, it could have reaped more than £10 million, jurors were told. The membership list was stolen by the CSSC’s events manager Adedamola Oyebode. She passed it to her brothers-in-law Emmanuel and Stephen Odeyemi, the court heard.
GETTY MPs, soldiers and police officers had their identities stolen as part of the con, a court heard
These defendants went to exceptionally complex and sophisticated lengths Allison Hunter, QC
They allegedly ran the fraud with their friend Kayode Sanni. Allison Hunter, QC, prosecuting, said: “These defendants went to exceptionally complex and sophisticated lengths in their orchestration of this fraud. “They themselves operate under a number of fluid pseudonyms and false identities, operate a multiplicity of email address, have access to a number of mobile phone numbers and have spread the conduct of this fraud over computers and electronic storage devices sufficient to stock a small warehouse.”
One of the multiple false tax credit fraudsters was identified as Chantelle Gumbs, said Ms Hunter. It was discovered she used identities stolen from the CSSC which is based in Westminster near the Houses of Parliament.
GETTY They were able to steal £2.5m before HMRC spotted to ‘extraordinarily high rate’ of claims