'Disney pose' snares benefit cheats
A couple who claimed they were landlord and tenant were caught out as benefit cheats by pictures of them posing happily together with Disney characters.
Fraud investigators seized images of Marina Beddows, 54, and Colin Godbold, 57, alongside Mickey Mouse and Pluto following a raid on their home.
The pictures were used to undermine their claim that they were landlord and tenant and were in fact in a relationship, a Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) spokesman said.
Saturday, 20 February 2010
Thursday, 11 February 2010
A BENEFIT cheat who scammed £43,000 but was caught when he left £10,000 in a drawer
05 February 2010
A BENEFIT cheat who scammed £43,000 but was caught when he left £10,000 in a drawer after moving home has been jailed for nine months.Blackfriars Crown Court heard Fahd El-Hajj pretended he was a penniless student while working as carpenter earning up to £75,000 to claim Housing Benefit from Camden Council.Despite being refused asylum in February 2004, the 34-year-old Palestinian continued to claim the cash over a three-year period while living in Hillcrest court, Cricklewood.Failed asylum seekers are not allowed to claim benefits.El-Hajj was snared after he forgot about his stash when he moved out of the £300,000 property and the new tenant happened to be a policeman who handed in the cash and reported him to the authorities.An investigation was launched which discovered he was fleecing the benefits system.Patrick Mullens, prosecuting, said: "The Crown says the defendant was falsifying housing benefit application forms and by misdeclaring his position on postal verification forms received a total of £43,445 by way of housing benefits." El-Hajj's bank account showed a balance of £8,773, and another account had more than £33,000 credited to it between January 2004 and April 2005, when he claimed to on an annual salary of just £5,081 for working 17 hours a week at minimum wage.He had also lied on credit card application forms by pretending to be legally earn more than £15,000 a year, when in reality he did not. Passing sentence, Judge Deva Pillay said: "In my judgement you full well knew that you were not entitled to benefits and further in my view you well knew your way around the benefit system."El-Hajj, now of Nant Road, Cricklewood, admitted five counts of false accounting. A council spokeswoman said: "Camden Council is delighted at the outcome of this case. The council takes benefit fraud very seriously, as people who fraudulently claim benefits are taking money away from the most vulnerable members of society. "The council has a dedicated team to detect and deal with benefit fraud and is determined to take action against those who attempt to abuse the benefits system.
A BENEFIT cheat who scammed £43,000 but was caught when he left £10,000 in a drawer after moving home has been jailed for nine months.Blackfriars Crown Court heard Fahd El-Hajj pretended he was a penniless student while working as carpenter earning up to £75,000 to claim Housing Benefit from Camden Council.Despite being refused asylum in February 2004, the 34-year-old Palestinian continued to claim the cash over a three-year period while living in Hillcrest court, Cricklewood.Failed asylum seekers are not allowed to claim benefits.El-Hajj was snared after he forgot about his stash when he moved out of the £300,000 property and the new tenant happened to be a policeman who handed in the cash and reported him to the authorities.An investigation was launched which discovered he was fleecing the benefits system.Patrick Mullens, prosecuting, said: "The Crown says the defendant was falsifying housing benefit application forms and by misdeclaring his position on postal verification forms received a total of £43,445 by way of housing benefits." El-Hajj's bank account showed a balance of £8,773, and another account had more than £33,000 credited to it between January 2004 and April 2005, when he claimed to on an annual salary of just £5,081 for working 17 hours a week at minimum wage.He had also lied on credit card application forms by pretending to be legally earn more than £15,000 a year, when in reality he did not. Passing sentence, Judge Deva Pillay said: "In my judgement you full well knew that you were not entitled to benefits and further in my view you well knew your way around the benefit system."El-Hajj, now of Nant Road, Cricklewood, admitted five counts of false accounting. A council spokeswoman said: "Camden Council is delighted at the outcome of this case. The council takes benefit fraud very seriously, as people who fraudulently claim benefits are taking money away from the most vulnerable members of society. "The council has a dedicated team to detect and deal with benefit fraud and is determined to take action against those who attempt to abuse the benefits system.
Thursday, 4 February 2010
A benefit cheat swindled more than £29,000 in handouts – unaware that she was legally entitled to even more.
February 04, 2010
A benefit cheat swindled more than £29,000 in handouts – unaware that she was legally entitled to even more.
Erika Hasler, 44, claimed she was a jobless single mum as she pocketed £29,581 in income support, housing and council tax benefits for seven years.
But she could have legally claimed more in working tax credits.
Hasler tried to hoodwink officials by using different names as she got work as an auxiliary nurse and a parcel courier. She was caught because she used the same national insurance number.
Twice-divorced Hasler, of Kempton Road, Burnage, admitted dishonestly failing to notify the Department of Works and Pensions of changes in her circumstances.
Handing her a suspended 24-week jail sentence and an order to do 100 hours unpaid work, the Recorder of Manchester, Judge Andrew Gilbart, told her: “It’s been accepted that had you applied properly for tax credits you would actually have received over £30,000, above the amount you were getting to which you were not entitled.”
Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “It is disappointing that she has been let off so lightly. She should have been given a custodial sentence and her assets used to repay taxpayers as soon as possible.
“The real absurdity of the case is that the benefits system is in such a mess that she could have made more money by claiming benefits that she was legally entitled to.”
Hasler worked as an auxiliary nurse for East Cheshire NHS Trust at Macclesfield District General Hospital on and off for a total of six years. She earned up to £1,181 each month as a nurse and also £373-a-month as a parcel courier for nine months.
But she failed to declare her jobs to the DPW. She married in May, 2000 and investigators believe they lived together for five years. The relationship ended and another man moved in, said prosecutor Will Beardmore .
She failed to inform the DWP of either relationship or of savings of up to £8,000 she had in the bank, he said. She also enjoyed trips to Greece and Hungary - the latter to visit relatives. Hasler applied for her jobs in the names Erika Petra, Erika Keenan and Petra Keenan. She also applied for benefits under the name Erika Yoksha.
Mr Beardmore said: “It was a crude attempt to disguise the fact she was working and claiming benefits.”
When she was interviewed, Hasler at first denied wrongdoing. Mr Beardmore said: “She did admit offences but only after evidence was put to her. It wasn’t a full and frank confession of her guilt.”
Mr Elliott added: “It is shocking that someone could get away with such a serious offence for so long without being detected
“Time and again we have been assured by the government that they are cracking down on benefit fraud, but it seems that plenty of fraudsters have been able to sail along for years without any trouble.”
The DWP will now mount a civil case against Hasler to recover £46,380 in benefit paid to her between 1998 and 2008.
Because the law of dishonestly failing to notify the DWP of changes in circumstances was only introduced in 2001, Hasler could only be prosecuted over the £29,581 she claimed since that year.
A spokesman for the DWP said: “We know that the vast majority of our customers are honest, and we’re out to catch the small minority who aren’t.”
A benefit cheat swindled more than £29,000 in handouts – unaware that she was legally entitled to even more.
Erika Hasler, 44, claimed she was a jobless single mum as she pocketed £29,581 in income support, housing and council tax benefits for seven years.
But she could have legally claimed more in working tax credits.
Hasler tried to hoodwink officials by using different names as she got work as an auxiliary nurse and a parcel courier. She was caught because she used the same national insurance number.
Twice-divorced Hasler, of Kempton Road, Burnage, admitted dishonestly failing to notify the Department of Works and Pensions of changes in her circumstances.
Handing her a suspended 24-week jail sentence and an order to do 100 hours unpaid work, the Recorder of Manchester, Judge Andrew Gilbart, told her: “It’s been accepted that had you applied properly for tax credits you would actually have received over £30,000, above the amount you were getting to which you were not entitled.”
Matthew Elliott, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “It is disappointing that she has been let off so lightly. She should have been given a custodial sentence and her assets used to repay taxpayers as soon as possible.
“The real absurdity of the case is that the benefits system is in such a mess that she could have made more money by claiming benefits that she was legally entitled to.”
Hasler worked as an auxiliary nurse for East Cheshire NHS Trust at Macclesfield District General Hospital on and off for a total of six years. She earned up to £1,181 each month as a nurse and also £373-a-month as a parcel courier for nine months.
But she failed to declare her jobs to the DPW. She married in May, 2000 and investigators believe they lived together for five years. The relationship ended and another man moved in, said prosecutor Will Beardmore .
She failed to inform the DWP of either relationship or of savings of up to £8,000 she had in the bank, he said. She also enjoyed trips to Greece and Hungary - the latter to visit relatives. Hasler applied for her jobs in the names Erika Petra, Erika Keenan and Petra Keenan. She also applied for benefits under the name Erika Yoksha.
Mr Beardmore said: “It was a crude attempt to disguise the fact she was working and claiming benefits.”
When she was interviewed, Hasler at first denied wrongdoing. Mr Beardmore said: “She did admit offences but only after evidence was put to her. It wasn’t a full and frank confession of her guilt.”
Mr Elliott added: “It is shocking that someone could get away with such a serious offence for so long without being detected
“Time and again we have been assured by the government that they are cracking down on benefit fraud, but it seems that plenty of fraudsters have been able to sail along for years without any trouble.”
The DWP will now mount a civil case against Hasler to recover £46,380 in benefit paid to her between 1998 and 2008.
Because the law of dishonestly failing to notify the DWP of changes in circumstances was only introduced in 2001, Hasler could only be prosecuted over the £29,581 she claimed since that year.
A spokesman for the DWP said: “We know that the vast majority of our customers are honest, and we’re out to catch the small minority who aren’t.”
Wednesday, 3 February 2010
Man in court after horse kiss attempt
Published Date: 29 January 2010
A MAN told magistrates he had asked to kiss a police horse because he thought it was a very nice animal.
Anthony Pritchard found himself under arrest after he asked to kiss police horse Lancon Ashton, an 11-year-old gelding.Pritchard, a jobless 49-year-old, of Hornby Road, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly and was given a six months conditional discharge by Blackpool magistrates.PC Debra Owen was on mounted patrol on Lytham Road, South Shore, on January 20 at 9.30pm when the driver of a double-decker bus flagged her down.The driver ordered Pritchard off the bus. He was very unsteady on his feet and smelled strongly of alcohol. When told he was under arrest Pritchard swore and said: "Give us a kiss."Pritchard told magistrates: "I told PC Owen it was a nice horse. I had had horses when I was younger. When I said give us a kiss, I was talking to the horse.
A MAN told magistrates he had asked to kiss a police horse because he thought it was a very nice animal.
Anthony Pritchard found himself under arrest after he asked to kiss police horse Lancon Ashton, an 11-year-old gelding.Pritchard, a jobless 49-year-old, of Hornby Road, Blackpool, pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly and was given a six months conditional discharge by Blackpool magistrates.PC Debra Owen was on mounted patrol on Lytham Road, South Shore, on January 20 at 9.30pm when the driver of a double-decker bus flagged her down.The driver ordered Pritchard off the bus. He was very unsteady on his feet and smelled strongly of alcohol. When told he was under arrest Pritchard swore and said: "Give us a kiss."Pritchard told magistrates: "I told PC Owen it was a nice horse. I had had horses when I was younger. When I said give us a kiss, I was talking to the horse.
Monday, 25 January 2010
Woman 'fakes cancer to raise money for breast implants'
Woman 'fakes cancer to raise money for breast implants'
Tuesday, 17 November 2009
A Texas woman lied about having breast cancer and spent £7,000 raised at a benefit to have her breasts enlarged.
Trista Joy Lathern, 24, shaved her head to look like a cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy.
Police said Lathern, who has been charged with fraud, wanted the implants to try to save her seven-month marriage.
Tuesday, 17 November 2009
A Texas woman lied about having breast cancer and spent £7,000 raised at a benefit to have her breasts enlarged.
Trista Joy Lathern, 24, shaved her head to look like a cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy.
Police said Lathern, who has been charged with fraud, wanted the implants to try to save her seven-month marriage.
Friday, 22 January 2010
Fraud losses 'cost the UK £30bn a year'
Fraud losses 'cost the UK £30bn a year'
Shredding personal documents is one way to prevent being a victim of fraud
Fraud - including scams, online theft, insurance cheats and tax fraud - costs the UK £30bn a year, according to an official estimate.
The National Fraud Authority (NFA) has calculated the figure for the first time and said it equated to £621 per adult in the UK.
Some 58% of fraud was in the public sector, at a cost of £17bn, it added.
It said the losses were paid for through taxes and rising prices of products and services.
The highest sector was losses from tax fraud - estimated at £15.2bn - although this was only 3% of tax liabilities, the NFA said.
FRAUD LOSSES
Tax fraud: £15.2bn
Consumer scams: £3.5bn
Insurance fraud: £2bn
Some 31% of losses came in the private sector, with the financial services sector suffering the biggest hit.
It lost an estimated £3.8bn, including £1bn in mortgage fraud. This has prompted the City watchdog, the Financial Services Authority, to take a tougher stance against the crime, with a number of brokers having been fined and banned from the industry.
Another £2bn was lost to insurance fraud, and the remainder came from fraudsters targeting online banking, cheques, and plastic cards.
The consumer goods industry lost an estimated £1.3bn a year, manufacturing suffered losses of £1bn a year, and technology, media and telecommunications lost £948m.
Consumers have also been tricked out of an estimated £3.5bn a year in share, lottery and loan scams. Some 12% of all fraud was suffered by individual consumers.
"Although the figure appears on the face of it far greater than the previous estimate, we know this is because we have included many additional figures that other studies have not," said NFA chief executive Bernard Herdan.
"With this vital information we can develop clearer priorities to prevent, detect and deter fraudsters. We will use the data to help identify those areas of fraud that cause the most harm to the UK economy.
"Reducing the cost of fraud is important but even more significantly I want to stop more people from becoming victims. I have seen firsthand the devastating effects fraud can have. It destroys lives and livelihoods."
The NFA is part of the UK Attorney General's Office.
Shredding personal documents is one way to prevent being a victim of fraud
Fraud - including scams, online theft, insurance cheats and tax fraud - costs the UK £30bn a year, according to an official estimate.
The National Fraud Authority (NFA) has calculated the figure for the first time and said it equated to £621 per adult in the UK.
Some 58% of fraud was in the public sector, at a cost of £17bn, it added.
It said the losses were paid for through taxes and rising prices of products and services.
The highest sector was losses from tax fraud - estimated at £15.2bn - although this was only 3% of tax liabilities, the NFA said.
FRAUD LOSSES
Tax fraud: £15.2bn
Consumer scams: £3.5bn
Insurance fraud: £2bn
Some 31% of losses came in the private sector, with the financial services sector suffering the biggest hit.
It lost an estimated £3.8bn, including £1bn in mortgage fraud. This has prompted the City watchdog, the Financial Services Authority, to take a tougher stance against the crime, with a number of brokers having been fined and banned from the industry.
Another £2bn was lost to insurance fraud, and the remainder came from fraudsters targeting online banking, cheques, and plastic cards.
The consumer goods industry lost an estimated £1.3bn a year, manufacturing suffered losses of £1bn a year, and technology, media and telecommunications lost £948m.
Consumers have also been tricked out of an estimated £3.5bn a year in share, lottery and loan scams. Some 12% of all fraud was suffered by individual consumers.
"Although the figure appears on the face of it far greater than the previous estimate, we know this is because we have included many additional figures that other studies have not," said NFA chief executive Bernard Herdan.
"With this vital information we can develop clearer priorities to prevent, detect and deter fraudsters. We will use the data to help identify those areas of fraud that cause the most harm to the UK economy.
"Reducing the cost of fraud is important but even more significantly I want to stop more people from becoming victims. I have seen firsthand the devastating effects fraud can have. It destroys lives and livelihoods."
The NFA is part of the UK Attorney General's Office.
Tuesday, 12 January 2010
Breast enlargement on the rates
A benefit fraudster who spent the proceeds of her crimes on cosmetic surgery will be sentenced this Friday (January 15).
Nelli Kellaway, 41, swindled £57,000 of housing and council tax benefit out of Hammersmith & Fulham Council. Evidence seized by council officers suggests that she blew the money on breast enlargements in Russia for herself and her daughter, Natalia, 24. She also spent the cash on plastic surgery and cosmetic dentistry.
Nelli's husband Steven, 51, also went to Russia but died during the trip. Mrs Kellaway's arrest came on the day that she flew back to the UK from Russia with Steven's cremated remains.
Speaking about the case, Cllr Greg Smith, Hammersmith & Fulham Council's Cabinet Member for Crime and Street Scene, said: "I have seen some brazen benefits cheats in my time but Mrs Kellaway is out there. Benefits are for the needy - not those in need of a buxom bosom. Kellaway swindled taxpayer's cash to spend on her own vanity and this council will pursue cheats like her all the way to the courts."
The benefit fraud came to light after Steven Kellaway submitted a claim for housing and council tax benefit in March 2008. On his application form, he declared that he was a single parent, in receipt of Income Support and failed to declare that he was in actual fact living with his wife. He also failed to state that Nelli had more than £80,000 worth of cash in a series of undeclared bank accounts, owned property in Camden and had a rental income in excess of £2,000 per month. He also decided not the tell the council that as of June 2008 he had £119,000 in a Nationwide Flex Account. Council Fraud Officers and the Met Police Pay Back Unit at Hammersmith are now seeking to seize these assets as the proceeds of crime.
Just seven months later, the council received a further claim for housing and council tax from the same address from a female witness. The female declared Steven Kellaway as her landlord. The property was visited and a further two witnesses were identified who provided statements to the effect that Steven and Nelli Kellaway were their landlord, had acted together as husband and wife and had rented the rooms within the property to them for cash deposits of £600 and a 2 weekly rental of £240 which was to be paid cash into a NatWest Bank account in Nelli Kellaway's name.
The address was subsequently searched by officers from the council and The Met's Police Pay Back Unit and a significant amount of mail was recovered and personal papers which identified a series of undeclared bank accounts. The search also uncovered Nelli Kellaway's diary which stated that she and her daughter had travelled to Russia for the surgery.
While in custody, a search of Nelli Kellaway's computer also revealed forged documents, including tenancy agreements, and other papers which went to assist with a further false claim for Housing Benefit at an address in Richmond. The documents also identified an income stream from other rented properties across London. One of the spreadsheets, identified an income of £98,000 per annum through false claims to the benefit system.
Background checks on both Steven and Nelli Kellaway identified that Steven Kellaway had been convicted of Benefit Fraud in November 2007, for failing to disclose the ownership of five properties. Further checks, identified that in 2006, Steven and Nelli Kellaway were married.
Cllr Smith added: "Benefit fraud will simply not be tolerated in Hammersmith & Fulham. Our corporate anti fraud service work round the clock to catch benefit cheats and the message to anyone who is considering acting in such an unscrupulous fashion is that you will be caught and you will pay the penalty. This successful result shows exactly what can be achieved by working closely with a multi agency approach."
The is the first case where H&F Council has used a recently produced Memorandum of Understanding with the local Police to the split of seized proceeds of crime between the two organisations. When arrested and asked what her employment was Mrs Kellaway replied "I don't work. I have never worked". Therefore casting doubt as to the funds in her undeclared bank account.
Without the assistance of the Met Police Payback Unit, it would not have been an almost impossible task to identify and restrain the criminal assets. Mrs Kellaway will be required to pay back the defrauded £57,000 and all other assets which are deemed to be the proceeds of crime. Given that by her own admissions, Mrs Kellaway has never worked, it is likely that the council will be seeking to recover in excess of £200,000 by way of criminal benefit.
Nelli Kellaway has pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud and two counts of money laundering and will be sentenced at Kingston Crown Court on Friday January 15.
Nelli Kellaway, 41, swindled £57,000 of housing and council tax benefit out of Hammersmith & Fulham Council. Evidence seized by council officers suggests that she blew the money on breast enlargements in Russia for herself and her daughter, Natalia, 24. She also spent the cash on plastic surgery and cosmetic dentistry.
Nelli's husband Steven, 51, also went to Russia but died during the trip. Mrs Kellaway's arrest came on the day that she flew back to the UK from Russia with Steven's cremated remains.
Speaking about the case, Cllr Greg Smith, Hammersmith & Fulham Council's Cabinet Member for Crime and Street Scene, said: "I have seen some brazen benefits cheats in my time but Mrs Kellaway is out there. Benefits are for the needy - not those in need of a buxom bosom. Kellaway swindled taxpayer's cash to spend on her own vanity and this council will pursue cheats like her all the way to the courts."
The benefit fraud came to light after Steven Kellaway submitted a claim for housing and council tax benefit in March 2008. On his application form, he declared that he was a single parent, in receipt of Income Support and failed to declare that he was in actual fact living with his wife. He also failed to state that Nelli had more than £80,000 worth of cash in a series of undeclared bank accounts, owned property in Camden and had a rental income in excess of £2,000 per month. He also decided not the tell the council that as of June 2008 he had £119,000 in a Nationwide Flex Account. Council Fraud Officers and the Met Police Pay Back Unit at Hammersmith are now seeking to seize these assets as the proceeds of crime.
Just seven months later, the council received a further claim for housing and council tax from the same address from a female witness. The female declared Steven Kellaway as her landlord. The property was visited and a further two witnesses were identified who provided statements to the effect that Steven and Nelli Kellaway were their landlord, had acted together as husband and wife and had rented the rooms within the property to them for cash deposits of £600 and a 2 weekly rental of £240 which was to be paid cash into a NatWest Bank account in Nelli Kellaway's name.
The address was subsequently searched by officers from the council and The Met's Police Pay Back Unit and a significant amount of mail was recovered and personal papers which identified a series of undeclared bank accounts. The search also uncovered Nelli Kellaway's diary which stated that she and her daughter had travelled to Russia for the surgery.
While in custody, a search of Nelli Kellaway's computer also revealed forged documents, including tenancy agreements, and other papers which went to assist with a further false claim for Housing Benefit at an address in Richmond. The documents also identified an income stream from other rented properties across London. One of the spreadsheets, identified an income of £98,000 per annum through false claims to the benefit system.
Background checks on both Steven and Nelli Kellaway identified that Steven Kellaway had been convicted of Benefit Fraud in November 2007, for failing to disclose the ownership of five properties. Further checks, identified that in 2006, Steven and Nelli Kellaway were married.
Cllr Smith added: "Benefit fraud will simply not be tolerated in Hammersmith & Fulham. Our corporate anti fraud service work round the clock to catch benefit cheats and the message to anyone who is considering acting in such an unscrupulous fashion is that you will be caught and you will pay the penalty. This successful result shows exactly what can be achieved by working closely with a multi agency approach."
The is the first case where H&F Council has used a recently produced Memorandum of Understanding with the local Police to the split of seized proceeds of crime between the two organisations. When arrested and asked what her employment was Mrs Kellaway replied "I don't work. I have never worked". Therefore casting doubt as to the funds in her undeclared bank account.
Without the assistance of the Met Police Payback Unit, it would not have been an almost impossible task to identify and restrain the criminal assets. Mrs Kellaway will be required to pay back the defrauded £57,000 and all other assets which are deemed to be the proceeds of crime. Given that by her own admissions, Mrs Kellaway has never worked, it is likely that the council will be seeking to recover in excess of £200,000 by way of criminal benefit.
Nelli Kellaway has pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud and two counts of money laundering and will be sentenced at Kingston Crown Court on Friday January 15.
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