A woman who helped to steal hundreds of identities and fraudulently claimed over £1.3m of tax credits has been jailed for four years.
Olajumoke Ademuyiwa, 42, from Canning Town, a former Jobcentre Plus employee, was part of a Nigerian-led gang, a court heard. She was arrested in July 2008.
And a search of her home in Tarling Road uncovered evidence of the fraud taking place, including the details of at least 40 bank accounts held in the gang’s names and aliases.
There was also documentation which held hundreds of innocent people’s identities.
Revenue and Customs investigators also seized £25,000, which are believed to be proceeds of the crimes and will be subject to confiscation proceedings, to be calculated at a later stage.
Ademuyiwa was found guilty of fraudulently obtaining payments of tax credits, by using the names and home addresses of unsuspecting individuals without their consent and acquiring criminal property.
‘You lied and lied’
When sentencing, His Honour Judge Simon Davis told her: “You demonstrated blatant disregard for the truth, not only in the witness box where you lied and lied and lied, but also with documentation used in the fraud.
“With your role in attacking the revenue, you lied and turned things upside down which the jury saw through
“You played an essential role as a helper beyond the scope of just opening bank accounts in the fraud.”
Her accomplice, Olaide (John) Taiwo, 35, a security guard from Camberwell, south-east London was jailed for eight and a half years for his part in the scam at Inner London Crown Court.
Richard Young, acting Assistant Director for HM Revenue & Customs said:
“The lengthy jail sentences given to this pair will act as a deterrent to anyone considering committing this type of crime.
“Over a four year period, they deliberately attacked and abused a system designed to provide financial help to the most vulnerable people in our society, by submitting over 300 fraudulent tax credit claims.”
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