NAO investigates forged identities cases
Forty cases of organised tax credit fraud under inquiry
Audit watchdog the National Audit Office is investigating 40 cases of alleged
organised tax credit fraud worth a total of £5m following the theft of 8,800
identities from staff from the Department of Work & Pensions.
This was confirmed by NAO chief Sir John Bourn in a letter to Conservative MP
Richard Bacon.
Bourn said the cases involved multiple forged or false identities.
The HMRC tax credits online portal was closed in December after Department of
Work & Pensions staff had their identities hijacked, the BBC reported.
Of the 8,800 identities stolen, some 6,800 were used to make fraudulent
claims, resulting in a loss of £15m.
The tax credit system was designed to help families on low incomes by
supplementing their pay.