0:00:02 > 0:00:04Saints And Scroungers puts the spotlight on benefit thieves,
0:00:04 > 0:00:08people who steal millions of pounds every year from British taxpayers.
0:00:08 > 0:00:13We also search out the saints, people who help put unclaimed cash
0:00:13 > 0:00:16into the hands of those who really need it.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43Saints And Scroungers is all about busting benefit thieves
0:00:43 > 0:00:46who steal millions every year and the crack team of investigators
0:00:46 > 0:00:49determined to scupper their devious scams.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53We also shine a light on those who genuinely need the money
0:00:53 > 0:00:55and the people who help them get it.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57They are our saints.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01The Saints get help and the fraudsters get their comeuppance.
0:01:01 > 0:01:06Coming up on today's show - a pair of tax-credit-stealing scroungers
0:01:06 > 0:01:10finally get their dues after nearly two decades of abusing the benefits system
0:01:10 > 0:01:13because they didn't know when to quit.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17Mr Olaleye was released from prison in November 2007.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20One of the first things he did was ring up our department
0:01:20 > 0:01:24asking why the child tax credit claims had been stopped.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27And from the scroungers to the saints.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30An ex-soldier with post-traumatic stress disorder
0:01:30 > 0:01:33battles to set up a charity to help others in the same situation.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36I actually decided, "Hey, what a good idea.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39"This needs to be done in the UK. What about our troops?"
0:01:43 > 0:01:45One of the things that makes this country great
0:01:45 > 0:01:49is that we will give money to people who genuinely need it.
0:01:49 > 0:01:54The only trouble with that, wherever you find money, you'll also find people that want to steal it.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02Abiodun Olaleye came to this country from Nigeria in 1990
0:02:02 > 0:02:05and was allowed to stay for six months as a visitor
0:02:05 > 0:02:09on condition he didn't work and didn't claim benefits.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16Within months, his wife Olanrewaju Olaleye followed him here,
0:02:16 > 0:02:19stating she too was just visiting.
0:02:24 > 0:02:2720 years later, the couple are still here and the suspicion is
0:02:27 > 0:02:31that they've committed a massive benefit fraud
0:02:31 > 0:02:34involving 16 fictitious children,
0:02:34 > 0:02:36four very real properties,
0:02:36 > 0:02:40and all of it amounting to a whopping £150,000.
0:02:40 > 0:02:45High time for the fraud investigators to sort this pair of scroungers out.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51Their case was referred to HM Revenue and Customs' fraud department.
0:02:53 > 0:02:58In 2007, the Department of Work and Pensions contacted our department
0:02:58 > 0:03:01and advised us that the Crown Prosecution Service
0:03:01 > 0:03:06had prosecuted somebody for a false passport and false employment.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11That tip-off was about none other than Abiodun Olaleye.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15Since first arriving in this country in 1990,
0:03:15 > 0:03:18he's made repeated claims for asylum,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21faked a marriage with a UK citizen in order to stay,
0:03:21 > 0:03:26and has been working when he shouldn't, using a false passport under the name Lateef Aremu.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29It's this crime that finally caught up with him.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34Olaleye was prosecuted for this crime
0:03:34 > 0:03:37and he received a 16-month custodial sentence.
0:03:37 > 0:03:42He served six months' imprisonment between May 2007 and November 2007.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47The authorities have finally got his number
0:03:47 > 0:03:52and HMRC have been looking into the case while Abiodun is behind bars.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55There's a rumour that as well as the asylum system,
0:03:55 > 0:03:58the benefit system has also been abused,
0:03:58 > 0:04:04not just by him either. His wife, Olanrewaju, is also in the frame.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09The DWP supplied us with the three names, Abiodun Olaleye,
0:04:09 > 0:04:15his wife Olanrewaju Olaleye, and the false passport name of Lateef Aremu.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18We then used these names to check against our records
0:04:18 > 0:04:21for claims to working tax credit and child tax credits
0:04:21 > 0:04:23and we found that all three names featured.
0:04:23 > 0:04:29All three had started claiming tax credits starting in December 2002.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33Hang on a second. Before we go any further,
0:04:33 > 0:04:37I think I should just explain what these tax credits actually are.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39If you're working but on a low income,
0:04:39 > 0:04:44you could be entitled to working tax credits to help you out a bit.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46Child tax credits on the other hand
0:04:46 > 0:04:49are paid out to people who are responsible for at least one child,
0:04:49 > 0:04:52whether that person is working or not.
0:04:52 > 0:04:57The amount of children you have and the amount of income is all taken into account
0:04:57 > 0:05:01to work out how many tax credits you're entitled to.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05The problem is some people, like the Olaleyes, abuse this Government handout.
0:05:07 > 0:05:14The first claim that we found was made by Mr Olaleye in the false name of Lateef Aremu.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16This was in respect of two children
0:05:16 > 0:05:19at an address at Eddystone Tower in Deptford in London.
0:05:21 > 0:05:27As HMRC investigators delve deeper into Olaleye, his wife and his alias, Lateef Aremu,
0:05:27 > 0:05:29it just gets worse.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32Working alongside Steve was another fraud investigator,
0:05:32 > 0:05:36who, because of the nature of her work, has asked to remain anonymous.
0:05:38 > 0:05:43In March 2003 Abiodun Olaleye made a claim for
0:05:43 > 0:05:46working and child tax credit
0:05:46 > 0:05:50from the same address as the claim from Lateef Aremu.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54He said that he was a single parent of three children
0:05:54 > 0:05:58and that he worked in the security industry
0:05:58 > 0:06:05and that he was paying £240 a week to a registered child carer for childcare to the three children.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10The next claim we checked was in respect of Mrs Olaleye.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14This was round about the same time, also in March 2003.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16She claimed for
0:06:16 > 0:06:19four children, working tax credits and child tax credits.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22She also said she was employed as a nurse.
0:06:23 > 0:06:28So that's already nine children the Olaleyes are claiming tax credits for,
0:06:28 > 0:06:33four in her name, three in his and two under his alias, Mr Aremu.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35And it doesn't end there.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41Abiodun's fake family continues to grow bigger.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46Mr Olaleye contacted our department in December 2003,
0:06:46 > 0:06:50when he added another child to his tax credit claim.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53In the April 2004, he wrote to our department
0:06:53 > 0:06:55and added two further children.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59In July 2004 he telephoned again and added a further child.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02That was a total of seven children he was claiming for
0:07:02 > 0:07:05as a single parent at the Eddystone Tower address.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07In December 2004,
0:07:07 > 0:07:13Olanrewaju Olaleye wrote a letter to the tax credit office
0:07:13 > 0:07:18saying that she was now guardians for two further children
0:07:18 > 0:07:20and wanted those adding to her claim.
0:07:20 > 0:07:25So altogether on her claim, she claimed for six children.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30Now before I go round the bend, let me just get this straight.
0:07:30 > 0:07:35Olaleye and his alias Lateef Aremu are claiming for multiple kids
0:07:35 > 0:07:37out of the Eddystone Towers address,
0:07:37 > 0:07:39but his wife is registered as living elsewhere
0:07:39 > 0:07:42and claiming for her multiple children
0:07:42 > 0:07:44out of an address in Gubbins Lane, Romford.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46It's at this point in the scam
0:07:46 > 0:07:49where their greed starts getting the better of them.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54Mr Olaleye contacted our department once again in 2004
0:07:54 > 0:07:57but this time pretending to be Mr Lateef Aremu.
0:07:57 > 0:08:02He added two more children on the first contact in January 2004
0:08:02 > 0:08:05and later in the year, in November 2004, added two further children.
0:08:05 > 0:08:10That meant that Mr Lateef Aremu, or Mr Olaleye,
0:08:10 > 0:08:14was claiming for another six children in the name of Lateef Aremu.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18Hang on a second, I've almost run out of fingers and toes.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20That is 19 children they are claiming for,
0:08:20 > 0:08:2413 of which are supposed to be living in one of those flats there.
0:08:24 > 0:08:25You cannot be serious.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29Oh, yes, they can.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32HMRC spread out their search.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36We contacted immigration, we looked at the Department Of Education
0:08:36 > 0:08:39and registers of births, marriages and deaths.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43We found that out of the 19 children, in fact only three existed,
0:08:43 > 0:08:46real children that Mr and Mrs Olaleye had.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49Six were resident in Nigeria that they had no care for
0:08:49 > 0:08:51and ten were entirely fictitious.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57The amount of benefit fraud this pair is running up is mounting steadily.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00From the second this investigation started,
0:09:00 > 0:09:05HMRC stopped all child tax credits and working tax credits to the couple.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09Upon his release from jail in 2007,
0:09:09 > 0:09:14where Abiodun had been serving time for using a false passport to gain employment,
0:09:14 > 0:09:18he cheekily wanted to know where his steady income had gone.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22One of the first things he did was ring up our department
0:09:22 > 0:09:25and ask why the child tax credit claims had been stopped.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31They invited him and his wife down for an interview,
0:09:31 > 0:09:33an interview under caution, that is.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37The fact he's still in the country to face these allegations
0:09:37 > 0:09:40could be considered a mixed blessing for HMRC.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43He was prosecuted and did face deportation,
0:09:43 > 0:09:47but while he was in prison he appealed against that deportation order
0:09:47 > 0:09:48on the grounds of human rights,
0:09:48 > 0:09:52the right to family life so he could see his wife and children.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56The UK did not pursue that. He won on appeal and remained in the UK.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59So HMRC couldn't deport them,
0:09:59 > 0:10:02but as they began to dig even further into
0:10:02 > 0:10:04the couple's financial affairs,
0:10:04 > 0:10:08even more shocking sides to this scam emerged.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10The checks between Land Registry and the bank checks
0:10:10 > 0:10:15revealed that Mr and Mrs Olaleye had four properties in total between them.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23For now it's farewell to fraudsters and hello to the people we call our saints,
0:10:23 > 0:10:29those in genuine need of help but who are too proud or don't know how to claim what is rightfully theirs,
0:10:29 > 0:10:33and the people who point them in the right direction.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42Ex-soldier Rich Emerson is a man who's paid a price for his country.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44His experiences in the first Gulf War
0:10:44 > 0:10:48left him suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder,
0:10:48 > 0:10:50an affliction that has ruined his life
0:10:50 > 0:10:52for over a decade since returning from Iraq.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57Richard moved to Cornwall,
0:10:57 > 0:11:00but still lived with haunting memories of his experiences of war.
0:11:00 > 0:11:08Some of my vivid memories were Iraqi soldiers jumping off the lorries on fire and things
0:11:08 > 0:11:12and dealing with a lot of burnt bodies
0:11:12 > 0:11:17but also dealing with a lot of, um, a lot of Iraqis that had surrendered.
0:11:17 > 0:11:22Because we were tanks, we could fire from quite a long range.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25So we were coming across the stuff that we had done,
0:11:25 > 0:11:32the contacts that we, you know... The reality started kicking in then.
0:11:32 > 0:11:37We kind of realised what we were actually doing, yeah, which wasn't very nice,
0:11:37 > 0:11:40and I started to get nightmares, flashbacks,
0:11:40 > 0:11:46anger management problems, anxiety, depression as well.
0:11:46 > 0:11:51So that's when things started to go wrong and then I lost everything.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53Rich had lost marriages, jobs,
0:11:53 > 0:11:58his home to an illness he hadn't realised he was suffering from.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02Often, he'd disappeared for weeks at a time living rough in the woods,
0:12:02 > 0:12:07seeking solitude and an escape from the world.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10After a period of time and the realisation
0:12:10 > 0:12:13that I wasn't getting any better, I was getting worse,
0:12:13 > 0:12:15I was encouraged to go on to ESA,
0:12:15 > 0:12:18which is Employment Support Allowance.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22Employment and Support Allowance offers personalised support
0:12:22 > 0:12:26and extra financial help to those suffering illness
0:12:26 > 0:12:29or a mental condition, but who are still trying to work.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32Finally, Rich was getting the right support
0:12:32 > 0:12:36and started working as a part-time carpenter and surf instructor
0:12:36 > 0:12:41with a view to saving up his wages to afford a surf trip to California.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45It was a trip that was going to transform his life.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47One of the days there,
0:12:47 > 0:12:50there was a car boot sale and there was
0:12:50 > 0:12:54a specific, um, a specific store and they were raising money
0:12:54 > 0:12:57to help combat veterans through surfing
0:12:57 > 0:13:01and they explained that what they do, they have these surf camps
0:13:01 > 0:13:04and they get the amputees and the guys suffering from PTSD,
0:13:04 > 0:13:08post-traumatic stress disorder, down the beach, and the families,
0:13:08 > 0:13:12and I said, "I'm a surf instructor. Can I come and help out?"
0:13:12 > 0:13:16Rich spent the weekend at surf camp helping the veterans in the water
0:13:16 > 0:13:19and having a laugh, and he was amazed at the results,
0:13:19 > 0:13:22both physically and mentally for these ex-soldiers.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25It was at this point that Rich's mind was made up.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31I actually decided that, "Hey, what a good idea.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34"This needs to be done in the UK. What about our troops?"
0:13:34 > 0:13:37If we could do this in the UK on the beaches in Cornwall
0:13:37 > 0:13:42and put some smiles on faces, even for one day, what a fantastic idea. So that's what I've done.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47For the next year, Rich set about getting his idea
0:13:47 > 0:13:51up and running in the UK, calling it Surf Action.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55He began helping veterans to visit him and learn to surf.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59Getting them out of the house and doing something different.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03Just sit down on the boards, guys. Whose is this one then?
0:14:03 > 0:14:08The problem was Rich was funding everything out of his own wages
0:14:08 > 0:14:09and was still fragile.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13It took a year of preparation and it was quite hard.
0:14:13 > 0:14:18There was a lot of stress and I actually started to disappear off the scene,
0:14:18 > 0:14:21under the radar and back into the woods and living in the woods
0:14:21 > 0:14:24more and more on a regular basis then.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27I didn't actually think I could cope with it
0:14:27 > 0:14:29and thought this is just too much
0:14:29 > 0:14:32and although the idea's great, it's not going to work.
0:14:32 > 0:14:38Rich needed help and a chance introduction was about to change everything.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40Chris Hines is one of the founders
0:14:40 > 0:14:45of the anti-pollution organisation Surfers Against Sewage.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48He listened carefully to Rich's idea of helping veterans through surf
0:14:48 > 0:14:51and believed Rich was on to a winner.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53When Rich first said,
0:14:53 > 0:14:56"This is the concept" I went, "That's brilliant."
0:14:56 > 0:14:58I know that if I'm feeling stressed,
0:14:58 > 0:15:01this is the best place for me to go.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05So I went and saw someone from European convergence funding,
0:15:05 > 0:15:07and they said go and see Carolyn Webster.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13Carolyn Webster works for JobCentre Plus in Penzance.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15Her role is to develop programmes
0:15:15 > 0:15:18that help people back into the workplace.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21As a former Armed Forces champion, she's specialised
0:15:21 > 0:15:25in helping ex-service personnel find work once again.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28Quite a lot of people leaving the Armed Forces
0:15:28 > 0:15:31will go back into work, into other jobs straight away,
0:15:31 > 0:15:35but for those who don't, they often experience additional barriers
0:15:35 > 0:15:39in terms of readjusting back to civilian life,
0:15:39 > 0:15:42and need help to move forward.
0:15:44 > 0:15:49In Rich and the other veterans he was surfing with, Carolyn saw that help was needed,
0:15:49 > 0:15:53and Surf Action sounded like a viable project.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57I was quite keen from the outset.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59Chris sold it very well,
0:15:59 > 0:16:02so I wanted to see how I could help them.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06Carolyn set about sourcing funding for Surf Action
0:16:06 > 0:16:09that would make Rich's dream a sustainable reality.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12She approached Cornwall Works,
0:16:12 > 0:16:16an organisation that helps bring people, funding and companies together,
0:16:16 > 0:16:20with the aim of getting people into jobs and keeping them there.
0:16:20 > 0:16:25Cornwall Works has some pooled funds from a variety of sources
0:16:25 > 0:16:28that helps us to test new ideas,
0:16:28 > 0:16:33'so in Surf Action, I saw that potential to get a customer group
0:16:33 > 0:16:38'who might not be thinking about getting back to work to take those first steps.'
0:16:40 > 0:16:45And it wasn't long until Chris and Carolyn had come up trumps for such action.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49I had a meeting with Carolyn in Truro, drove straight down,
0:16:49 > 0:16:53said to Rich, "Good news, we've got £20,000, basically."
0:16:54 > 0:16:58I was over the moon, because I knew this would buy equipment
0:16:58 > 0:17:01and this would help us really start setting things up,
0:17:01 > 0:17:04and this was the way forward.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07I knew, as well, after a second meeting with Carolyn,
0:17:07 > 0:17:12that there is a future here, and it is going to be sustainable.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14And that was just amazing,
0:17:14 > 0:17:17that's when things really started to go forward
0:17:17 > 0:17:20and started to speed up, really positively for the future.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26Rich now had a mentor in Chris, and a guardian angel in Carolyn.
0:17:26 > 0:17:32With their help, advice and support, Surf Action started to make waves.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35And became a registered charity.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41I was really pleased with how they invested the first £10,000.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45They got some basic equipment in that they needed to take delivery forward,
0:17:45 > 0:17:48but also, Rich was able to come off benefits
0:17:48 > 0:17:51and work part-time on Surf Action, and get a part-time job.
0:17:53 > 0:17:59Surf Action is now two years old and is going from strength to strength.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01With yet more funding secured by Carolyn,
0:18:01 > 0:18:05Rich has been able to go full-time and take on his good friend Russ,
0:18:05 > 0:18:08to help him with the administration side of the charity.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15It isn't just surfing that's on offer to the veterans, though.
0:18:15 > 0:18:20Every Friday, they meet informally at a cafe on the cliffs to talk, and make new friends.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25Through friendship, camaraderie and support,
0:18:25 > 0:18:29Rich and his colleagues aim to gain the trust of the veterans,
0:18:29 > 0:18:31find out what's going on in their lives,
0:18:31 > 0:18:36and make sure they are getting the right support and counselling to help them get back on their feet.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40For everyone concerned with this project, the future looks good.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45We've really had a return on our investment through Surf Action,
0:18:45 > 0:18:50some of the veterans have gone back into work already,
0:18:50 > 0:18:53others are volunteering, and what's emerging now is this model
0:18:53 > 0:18:57where veterans that have been engaged and inspired through Surf Action
0:18:57 > 0:19:00are being trained as mentors and supporters,
0:19:00 > 0:19:05and they're helping to deliver other programmes for workless people, so you get that ripple effect.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09What Rich has delivered is over and beyond
0:19:09 > 0:19:12what I thought could be done, especially some of the work
0:19:12 > 0:19:17with some of the veterans who've got missing limbs and physical injuries,
0:19:17 > 0:19:20but also, really, what it does with people's minds as well.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26And in all of this, no-one is happier than the man himself.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28His dream finally realised,
0:19:28 > 0:19:32thanks to the people who had faith in him right from the start.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40All the way through, just like the dye through a stick of rock,
0:19:40 > 0:19:43all the way through that stick of rock has been Carolyn,
0:19:43 > 0:19:46helping us out all the way through, she's absolutely amazing.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51Rich is a man who's already served his country once.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55Now with the right help and support, he's able to do it again.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57Seems to me he's well and truly back on his feet.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01Whether those feet are on a surfboard or good old terra firma.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09Now it's time to return to the scroungers.
0:20:09 > 0:20:15HMRC fraud investigators are hot on the heels of Mr and Mrs Olaleye.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18This couple arrived from Nigeria in the 1990s
0:20:18 > 0:20:22and have been scrounging off our benefits system ever since.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28Well, in July 2007,
0:20:28 > 0:20:32we received a referral from the Department for Work and Pensions.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35They told us that the Crown Prosecution Service
0:20:35 > 0:20:39had just prosecuted a Mr Abiodun Olaleye
0:20:39 > 0:20:44for obtaining a passport fraudulently, under a false identity.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51That identity was a Mr Lateef Aremu.
0:20:51 > 0:20:58And Abiodun had been using it to work and claim tax credit benefits fraudulently for years.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01At the start of the investigation in 2007,
0:21:01 > 0:21:04he was behind bars for this fraud.
0:21:04 > 0:21:10As HMRC dig deeper, it turns out he and his wife are claiming child tax credits
0:21:10 > 0:21:14and working tax credits, left, right and centre.
0:21:16 > 0:21:17Once we concluded our checks,
0:21:17 > 0:21:20this revealed that Mr and Mrs Olaleye, between them,
0:21:20 > 0:21:24were claiming for a total of 19 children for tax credits.
0:21:24 > 0:21:29And only three of those children actually belonged to their pair.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32But they lacked in numbers of kids they made up for in houses.
0:21:32 > 0:21:38HMRC also undertook enquiries to see what properties were owned by Mr and Mrs Olaleye.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40We discovered that Mr and Mrs Olaleye
0:21:40 > 0:21:44had purchased a right-to-buy property
0:21:44 > 0:21:46at Eddystone Tower, from Lewisham Council.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50They also bought a house, this time in the name of Mr Olaleye,
0:21:50 > 0:21:52where Mrs Olaleye was supposedly living.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58Both of these properties were bought by the couple in 2003.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00From one of the properties,
0:22:00 > 0:22:03Mr Olaleye was claiming benefits in his name
0:22:03 > 0:22:05and in his false name of Lateef Aremu.
0:22:07 > 0:22:12And the other house, Mrs Olaleye was claiming as well. But it gets worse.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16These scroungers were using taxpayers' money to build a property empire.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23We looked at the Olaleyes' bank accounts,
0:22:23 > 0:22:26and from the activity on the bank accounts, we found that Mrs Olaleye
0:22:26 > 0:22:33had purchased a flat at Rochfort House in London.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36She'd used the name Oladipo.
0:22:36 > 0:22:43We found Oladipo to be Mrs Olaleye's maiden name.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47Another house, another name. Surely that's the end of it?
0:22:47 > 0:22:51We also discovered a mortgage on a fourth property
0:22:51 > 0:22:56in south-east London, in the name of Lateef Aremu.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00The checks between Land Registry and the bank checks revealed that
0:23:00 > 0:23:04Mr and Mrs Olaleye had four properties in total between them.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10These houses were all news to HMRC.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12Guess why it's such a big secret?
0:23:12 > 0:23:15Because owning four houses would have a big impact on
0:23:15 > 0:23:18the amount of benefits you're entitled to.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21So for a scrounger, it's best to keep schtum.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23Let's see if these two held their nerve
0:23:23 > 0:23:26when HMRC wanted a word about all these claims.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31In the interview under caution,
0:23:31 > 0:23:36both Mr and Mrs Olaleye were asked about the details of their claims.
0:23:38 > 0:23:45Mr Olaleye made a no-comment interview throughout,
0:23:45 > 0:23:49other than he did confirm that he had made a claim in his own name,
0:23:49 > 0:23:53and also made a claim in the name of Lateef Aremu.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00Well, Abiodun may say "no comment" to a lot of the questions,
0:24:00 > 0:24:03but by admitting he's been using the false identity of Lateef,
0:24:03 > 0:24:08he let the investigators know they are on the right track.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11It seems his wife is getting similar pangs of guilt.
0:24:13 > 0:24:18Mrs Olaleye presented us with a pre-prepared statement
0:24:18 > 0:24:22to say that she had made an incorrect claim
0:24:22 > 0:24:26and that she would pay back the money she was not entitled to.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28Well, that's good to hear.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31But it's a bit late in the day now you've been caught
0:24:31 > 0:24:33with your hand in the cookie claim jar.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37Despite this pair holding up their hands to some of this fraud,
0:24:37 > 0:24:39the investigators need to prove it all.
0:24:39 > 0:24:44After the interviews, the investigators pull out their trump card.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46HMRC also sent the claim forms off
0:24:46 > 0:24:50in respect of Mr and Mrs Olaleye's handwriting comparison.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53We wanted to prove that the signatures on the documents
0:24:53 > 0:24:56actually related to Mr and Mrs Olaleye,
0:24:56 > 0:24:58and they came back tested positive.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02They were in fact the false claims for these 19 children.
0:25:02 > 0:25:07The claim forms submitted by Lateef Aremu also matched Mr Olaleye's handwriting,
0:25:07 > 0:25:10proving that they were indeed one and the same person.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13With the evidence in place needed to send the scroungers down,
0:25:13 > 0:25:18the investigators now have an idea just how much these two have conned out of me and you,
0:25:18 > 0:25:20yes, the taxpayers.
0:25:22 > 0:25:29In total, Mr and Mrs Olaleye stole from HMRC £147,024.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35You what? I've heard enough. Get them to court!
0:25:35 > 0:25:39In 2010, both appeared in front of a judge at Basildon Crown Court.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44Mr and Mrs Olaleye were charged with fraudulently claiming
0:25:44 > 0:25:47child tax credits, and acquiring criminal property.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50They both pleaded guilty at Basildon Crown Court.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52I should think so too.
0:25:52 > 0:25:57Abiodun is sentenced to 20 months in jail.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00His wife, Olanrewaju, is given a six-month sentence,
0:26:00 > 0:26:06suspended for 18 months, and 250 hours of community service.
0:26:06 > 0:26:11Ironically, it's only because of her real children that did actually exist
0:26:11 > 0:26:13that she escaped a spell behind bars.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19In summing up, the judge said that he had suspended Mrs Olaleye's sentence
0:26:19 > 0:26:23out of an act of mercy for her children.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25The three of them, that is.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29This is one of the largest tax credit frauds of its type.
0:26:29 > 0:26:33Although our department does deal with many different types of tax evasion cases,
0:26:33 > 0:26:39only some of the organised crime group cases may pose more severe threat to HMRC.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43There are many ways to make an honest living,
0:26:43 > 0:26:47and inventing children so you can claim benefits is not one of them.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50Child tax credits are there for the needy, not the greedy.
0:26:50 > 0:26:55And if you're going to fiddle the system, fraud investigators will track you down.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd