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Benefit Cheat runs 3 miles daily. Fraudulently claims £70k

(55 Posts)
Primrose53 Thu 16-May-24 19:42:21

Almost every other week we read one of these stories. Today a woman claiming to have MS and almost unable to walk has been filmed daily by undercover team. They had got clearance to watch her for several months but got so much evidence that they were done in less than 2 weeks.

She was in full running gear and ran 3 miles every day yet when caught turned up in court on crutches and looking very frail. She conned the DSS or whatever they call themselves now out of £70,000.

This is just the tip of the iceberg apparently, some are conning loads more and the system seems to be so easy to cheat that even people whose first language is not English are able to work through it successfully. They often claim for family members who do not even exist.

I don’t understand how this can happen these days with all the technology we have.

I would hate to work anywhere like that knowing that every day you are being ripped off for millions. Why aren’t big brains being used to sort this massive problem once and for all?

PamelaJ1 Sun 19-May-24 06:00:18

MissA you are quite right we are living too long!!
I was chatting to a couple, even older than me, and they made the point that many of us will be claiming our pension for many more years than intended by the powers that be in the ‘olden days’.
However it’s difficult to cheat your way into a pension, I think, so on this thread we are safe.

NotSpaghetti Sun 19-May-24 08:22:19

Of course the person who was jailed committed this fraud between 2009 and 2018 - so it goes back some way...

She was ill initally and then continued claiming.

Iam64 Sun 19-May-24 08:40:31

The system is not ‘easy to cheat’. It’s often difficult to obtain benefits that an individual is entitled to.
There are criminals living amongst us. From shoplifting to organised crime. This woman deliberately set out to defraud the benefit system. It will have meant her lying on forms, maybe to her GP but it was deliberate and she knew she was committing a serious crime.
Cut services to the bone and be surprised when they’re less effective

Primrose53 Sun 19-May-24 09:26:36

vegansrock

Those who investigate benefit fraud have their hands tied in many ways. There maybe the type who claims to be wheelchair bound but posts pictures on FB of themselves playing golf - but investigators cannot “invade privacy” by checking claimants social media. The Bulgarian gang who used hundreds of identities got away with it for so long as staff do not have the time / expertise or resources to follow through checks - many of which they aren’t allowed to do anyway. An ex police officer friend got involved in benefit fraud investigation and told me they just weren’t allowed to investigate properly as they weren’t given police powers.

That’s interesting. Two weeks ago there was a car parked near our house for hours. It was a very hot day but a big guy sat in there for hours. By mid afternoon he was still there so I went and asked him if he was there on official business.

His car had what looked like surveillance gear in it and we had seen him on his phone for ages. He said he was there officially and if I rang 101 and gave them his Reg No they would confirm this. He said he could not tell me who he was watching but it wasn’t us!! We reckon that was a benefit or insurance investigation.