0:00:02 > 0:00:07Theft of public money costs the UK taxpayer over £20 billion a year.
0:00:07 > 0:00:11It was over £1 million of public money that this pair took.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15It's money which should be going into the public pot
0:00:15 > 0:00:18to spend on essential services.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21Or it could be used to build new hospitals and schools.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24And throughout the country, there are specially trained
0:00:24 > 0:00:27investigators making sure that justice is served.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31It's not a question of IF we catch them, it's WHEN we catch them.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34In this series, we meet the men and women across the UK
0:00:34 > 0:00:40who are committed to catching criminals stealing from you and me, the British taxpayer.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44Take a step and you can grab my hand.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47But we also hear the stories of people who genuinely need
0:00:47 > 0:00:50assistance from public money.
0:00:50 > 0:00:56I'd lost my job and we were sinking gradually further and further.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00And sometimes, they don't even realise they're entitled to it.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02People say there's no hope, but there is.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04Go on, Holly!
0:01:07 > 0:01:10Today, the couple with the millionaire lifestyle
0:01:10 > 0:01:13paid for by cheating the taxpayer.
0:01:13 > 0:01:18They were able to fraudulently reclaim £232,000 worth
0:01:18 > 0:01:21of VAT on goods that they hadn't actually purchased.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25Take that! A jujitsu instructor
0:01:25 > 0:01:28stealing thousands in Disability Living Allowance.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32It is a blatant fraud and, clearly,
0:01:32 > 0:01:35Mr Kemp's physical capabilities have improved.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41And how hitting rock bottom was the shock one woman needed
0:01:41 > 0:01:42to turn her life around.
0:01:42 > 0:01:47I knew that I had to change and I knew that if I didn't,
0:01:47 > 0:01:51the kids would be gone and I'd be in prison or dead.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58190, 200...
0:02:00 > 0:02:03Handbags, shoes, jewellery -
0:02:03 > 0:02:05auctioned off for thousands of pounds.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09At £1,400, all done...
0:02:09 > 0:02:11Thank you very much.
0:02:11 > 0:02:12But this is no ordinary sale,
0:02:12 > 0:02:16because the money raised here goes to pay for services we all need.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20This is a proceeds of crime auction,
0:02:20 > 0:02:23and these luxury goods have been seized by the authorities
0:02:23 > 0:02:26after years of investigation into criminal cases...
0:02:26 > 0:02:30like the one involving Emmanuel and Behnaz Scotts.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35The couple led a millionaire lifestyle.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38They carried designer bags - well, she did -
0:02:38 > 0:02:42shopped in expensive boutiques, and lived at an exclusive address.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44So they were living here in Chelsea Harbour,
0:02:44 > 0:02:46which is an exclusive area in London.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50They rented a penthouse apartment on the top floor,
0:02:50 > 0:02:53a four-bedroom property, very nicely maintained,
0:02:53 > 0:02:57living a lifestyle that can only be associated to that of the rich and famous.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01With neighbours including Michael Caine and Robbie Williams,
0:03:01 > 0:03:05the Scotts had a celebrity lifestyle to match.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08They regularly ate at fine-dining establishments.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10They attended casinos on a regular basis
0:03:10 > 0:03:13and even sent their eldest daughter to private school.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15But, unbeknownst to their neighbours,
0:03:15 > 0:03:18the Scotts' high life was paid for by low crime -
0:03:18 > 0:03:23a scheme to defraud the UK taxpayer of hundreds of thousands of pounds,
0:03:23 > 0:03:26as HMRC would find out in 2010.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32They were defrauding the system and obtaining VAT back on items
0:03:32 > 0:03:34which they weren't entitled to,
0:03:34 > 0:03:37which allowed them to have this lavish lifestyle
0:03:37 > 0:03:40that only the rest of us can dream about.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, HMRC.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48It's their job not only to collect the taxes needed
0:03:48 > 0:03:49to provide our public services,
0:03:49 > 0:03:53but also to track down those who try to cheat the system.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57HMRC has a large Criminal Investigations division
0:03:57 > 0:04:02which works closely in collaboration with other investigators
0:04:02 > 0:04:06such as the police, local authorities and so on
0:04:06 > 0:04:09to investigate serious frauds against the tax system.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15The Scotts' fraud involved a government scheme for shoppers
0:04:15 > 0:04:17visiting from outside the EU.
0:04:18 > 0:04:24Overseas visitors are able to reclaim the VAT that they pay
0:04:24 > 0:04:28when they purchase goods here when they leave the country.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32And with VAT at 20%,
0:04:32 > 0:04:35that can be a hefty refund on a large shopping spree.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37The process is simple.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40First, the shopper shows their passport at the till.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46Once the seller is satisfied that the customer lives outside of the EU,
0:04:46 > 0:04:50they would generate the reclaim form, which is completed by the customer.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54That's then taken to the port or airport with the goods,
0:04:54 > 0:04:56and at the point of departure from the European Union,
0:04:56 > 0:04:59it would be stamped by customs.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02Then all the visitor needs to do when they get home is send off
0:05:02 > 0:05:06the form to a processing company for their VAT refund.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12But if a fraudster could find a way to get that refund without
0:05:12 > 0:05:16having paid any VAT in the first place, well, then they'd be rich.
0:05:16 > 0:05:21In 2010, HMRC uncovered information which suggested someone had
0:05:21 > 0:05:23found a way to do just that.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28Investigators don't like to reveal their sources,
0:05:28 > 0:05:30but the information they received prompted them
0:05:30 > 0:05:34to get in touch with a VAT processing company.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38Premier Tax Free is an agent for a number of high-value
0:05:38 > 0:05:41retailers operating in the UK.
0:05:41 > 0:05:47They administer the VAT reclaim scheme on behalf of those retailers.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51The company had noticed something strange.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54Tens of thousands of pounds of VAT refunds were being
0:05:54 > 0:05:59claimed on purchases made in just three Chanel stores in London.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03Even stranger, the money was going into bank accounts based not
0:06:03 > 0:06:05outside the EU, but in the UK.
0:06:05 > 0:06:10All very odd, given that the scheme is for non-UK residents.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15A number of suspicious payments had been paid into various accounts
0:06:15 > 0:06:17that all had similar names,
0:06:17 > 0:06:20which we've identified to belong to Mr and Mrs Scotts.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24The investigation picked up pace.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28HMRC applied for production orders to make the Scotts' banks
0:06:28 > 0:06:31hand over detailed information about their accounts.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35With these, officers established very large sums were passing into
0:06:35 > 0:06:39the couple's accounts and on into other accounts in different names.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43The next step was to contact Chanel.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46The Scotts were well-known to the staff at the three stores,
0:06:46 > 0:06:49who remembered them being very high spenders.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52But, as investigators looked further,
0:06:52 > 0:06:55it turned out that that was an illusion.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59They would regularly purchase high-value items and later
0:06:59 > 0:07:03take them back to a different Chanel store for an exchange or a refund.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06Recycling the same money, the Scotts were creating
0:07:06 > 0:07:11an image of a wealthy couple with tens of thousands to spend.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14This pattern of behaviour not only familiarised themselves with
0:07:14 > 0:07:16the staff in those three stores
0:07:16 > 0:07:18but it also built up a relationship of trust between them.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22And once they built their relationship with the sales staff,
0:07:22 > 0:07:24it was time to make some real money.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27Mr Scotts created a number of false sales invoices
0:07:27 > 0:07:30which he presented to the staff in his preferred stores
0:07:30 > 0:07:33and convinced them that when he had been purchasing items
0:07:33 > 0:07:38at another location, they had failed to generate the VAT reclaim vouchers.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42The staff who by now were familiar with their spending pattern,
0:07:42 > 0:07:45didn't question the amounts on the sales invoices
0:07:45 > 0:07:48and subsequently generated the forms for their customer.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51And with these forms, Emmanuel Scotts was able to get
0:07:51 > 0:07:56thousands of pounds of VAT refunded on products he hadn't even bought.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00The value that the customer can reclaim when leaving the UK
0:08:00 > 0:08:03would be 20% of the value of the goods that they've purchased.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07By making false invoices for such high-value goods,
0:08:07 > 0:08:12the Scotts were able to meet huge VAT returns each time they claimed.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14But there was one more puzzle.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18The forms needed to be stamped by Customs on export from the UK.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21So how did Scotts manage that?
0:08:21 > 0:08:24Through our investigations with colleagues in France,
0:08:24 > 0:08:29we were able to establish that a customs stamp had been falsified.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33Sifting through the accounts, officers found Scotts had
0:08:33 > 0:08:37bought some date stamps just before the fraud started.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40It's believed this specialist order of fixed date stamps would have
0:08:40 > 0:08:43been used to facilitate the fraud.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45The fact that they were fixed date only is highly suspicious,
0:08:45 > 0:08:50as they would have had very limited use for a legitimate cause.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53This fake customs stamp was the final stage in a fraud that
0:08:53 > 0:08:56enabled Scotts to steal a fortune.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Once Mr Scotts was in possession of these forms,
0:09:00 > 0:09:03he falsified them by using a false customs stamp,
0:09:03 > 0:09:08which allowed him to validate the forms and the sales invoices.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11These were then processed and the funds reclaimed were
0:09:11 > 0:09:14subsequently paid into their various bank accounts.
0:09:14 > 0:09:19In the first half of 2009 alone, he applied for 33 refunds,
0:09:19 > 0:09:24pretending he had spent over £1 million at Chanel.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28During that period, they were able to successfully fraudulently reclaim
0:09:28 > 0:09:33£232,000 worth of VAT on goods they hadn't actually purchased.
0:09:33 > 0:09:39That's almost a quarter of a million pounds stolen from the UK taxpayer
0:09:39 > 0:09:40in just six months.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45VAT fraud is certainly not a victimless crime.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49The victims in this case are the public, and the money that is
0:09:49 > 0:09:55defrauded could have been used to build schools or fund hospitals.
0:09:58 > 0:10:03But the couple's spending spree would soon be coming to an end.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07Later, HMRC now has all the evidence it needs to raid the Scotts'
0:10:07 > 0:10:09luxury Chelsea penthouse.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13But what else will they discover about what the Scotts are up to
0:10:13 > 0:10:16and how will the couple explain themselves?
0:10:20 > 0:10:23While some take everything they can get from society,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26there are others who do their best to give it back.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30Corraine Casey is a volunteer at the crime reduction charity Nacro.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34'When I know I'm coming down to do the training
0:10:34 > 0:10:38'or anything to do with Nacro and meeting other services'
0:10:38 > 0:10:39and things like that, it just...
0:10:39 > 0:10:44I love getting up in the morning and it's a focus in life.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47As a mentor, Corraine provides help
0:10:47 > 0:10:50and advice to drug addicts trying to get clean.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53The aim is both to improve their lives
0:10:53 > 0:10:56and to reduce the cost of addiction to the state -
0:10:56 > 0:11:00£13 billion a year in drug-related crime alone.
0:11:01 > 0:11:08Volunteering for Nacro, for me, is...
0:11:08 > 0:11:11I love it. We're there for support.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15So, Corraine on a day-to-day basis will be meeting people face-to-face,
0:11:15 > 0:11:17taking them for a coffee,
0:11:17 > 0:11:19talking about their difficulties
0:11:19 > 0:11:23in accessing services and encouraging them to attend services.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26The two-day course, that was really good.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30With the addiction side, if someone's trying to come off it,
0:11:30 > 0:11:34I say to ring me, because it'll get a bit harder before it gets better.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36And that's the best time to call me,
0:11:36 > 0:11:39because I can sort of try and lift them a little bit and...
0:11:39 > 0:11:43You know, just to keep going and, "You will get there in the end."
0:11:43 > 0:11:45Because I know they can do it.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49Corraine speaks from experience.
0:11:49 > 0:11:5112 years ago, in the grips of heroin addiction,
0:11:51 > 0:11:56she gave birth to a baby girl who was already addicted.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58Nurses had to treat the newborn
0:11:58 > 0:12:01as she suffered the painful withdrawal process.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06It was when Georgia started withdrawing, at first,
0:12:06 > 0:12:11I thought, "She's got no symptoms. She's going to be OK."
0:12:11 > 0:12:15But I didn't realise that it took a few hours
0:12:15 > 0:12:18for the heroin to come out of her system.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22I didn't really know how I was going to live with myself.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26But I knew that I had to change and I knew that if I didn't,
0:12:26 > 0:12:31that was it - I was going to be in addiction for the rest of my life.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35The kids would be gone and I'd be in prison or dead.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41In England alone, 20 babies are born every week addicted to drugs
0:12:41 > 0:12:44that they've absorbed in the womb.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47It was Corraine's shocking experience that finally
0:12:47 > 0:12:50forced to turn her life around.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53That was the changing point in my life.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55I was just looking at her
0:12:55 > 0:13:00and couldn't believe what I had done to my own flesh and blood.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04It was just devastating. Really soul destroying.
0:13:04 > 0:13:10And that's...when I knew that I'd never touch it again.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13And she's been true to her word.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17How does somebody get into such a state that they take drugs
0:13:17 > 0:13:19while pregnant, putting their baby at risk,
0:13:19 > 0:13:22and what can be done to stop it happening?
0:13:22 > 0:13:26You know, some people do have shocking starts to their lives,
0:13:26 > 0:13:30and if you haven't been the product of a problem background yourself,
0:13:30 > 0:13:34then it's easy to make snap judgements about who is to blame.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40I've come to Lincolnshire to talk to Corraine and hear her story.
0:13:42 > 0:13:46So, describe to me the household when you were growing up.
0:13:46 > 0:13:50- Your dad was ill...- Yeah, my dad was a paranoid schizophrenic.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54And my mum, she suffered with depression
0:13:54 > 0:14:01and he self-medicated, drinking every day, not taking his medication.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03So that made things worse.
0:14:03 > 0:14:08They split up, then we went into care,
0:14:08 > 0:14:12um, and when we came out of care, we found out
0:14:12 > 0:14:16that my dad had died whilst in a secure unit for the mentally ill.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19- When did you lose your dad? How old were you?- I was ten.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22- OK.- I was meant to be going to visit him that day.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24What happened to your mum?
0:14:24 > 0:14:28Um, my mum turned to drink.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31I think she was lost.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36The routine that you had as a child, you know,
0:14:36 > 0:14:38the sort of things that I'm familiar with -
0:14:38 > 0:14:42getting up in the morning, spend the day at school, you come back,
0:14:42 > 0:14:44your parents will be there in the evening.
0:14:44 > 0:14:49How does that compare to the sort of things that you experienced?
0:14:49 > 0:14:51Um, well...
0:14:51 > 0:14:56after my dad had died and we came back out of care,
0:14:56 > 0:14:59my mum was still drinking,
0:14:59 > 0:15:02so she wasn't there a lot of the time.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05We were just sort of doing our own thing.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09Cooking. I was cooking from a young age and washing.
0:15:09 > 0:15:14Doing my own washing, going to school if I felt like it.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18Then, as I got a little bit older, probably 13, me and my friends
0:15:18 > 0:15:21used to get money together, go and sit in the field,
0:15:21 > 0:15:24drinking, having a laugh.
0:15:24 > 0:15:29So, tell me how things changed, how did you start using substances?
0:15:29 > 0:15:33I met and got involved with somebody.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36All their friends were using it.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39I ended up trying it...
0:15:39 > 0:15:42and that was it really.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46The drug Corraine was smoking was heroin.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48She had no idea how addictive it could be.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52I didn't really think, to be honest,
0:15:52 > 0:15:56I just tried it and liked the feeling,
0:15:56 > 0:15:59and it just took you away from everything for a while.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03So, we're talking about serious drug use now,
0:16:03 > 0:16:07and all the income, everything that is coming into the household
0:16:07 > 0:16:10- really is focused on providing that? - Yeah.
0:16:10 > 0:16:15- And very quickly, that environment changes?- Yeah.
0:16:15 > 0:16:21It went from normal to having no heating, no electric,
0:16:21 > 0:16:26selling things, because if you don't have it,
0:16:26 > 0:16:33I couldn't look after my daughter, and you can't function.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35Once you get an addiction, you can't function without it.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39Corraine's life was spiralling out of control.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42Then in 2001, she became pregnant.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45She had come off drugs during a previous pregnancy
0:16:45 > 0:16:48but this time was different.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50The second time round, for some reason,
0:16:50 > 0:16:53it just got a hold of me, even stronger than the first time.
0:16:53 > 0:16:58And eventually, I went into labour.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03I had to tell the midwife that I was still using.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08And my daughter was born,
0:17:08 > 0:17:12but she was an addict herself.
0:17:14 > 0:17:19Even though that was the worst day of my life, in a sense,
0:17:19 > 0:17:25looking back now, everything came out, all my family found out,
0:17:25 > 0:17:27it was like a relief.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31I'd been hiding something for so long that it was a relief
0:17:31 > 0:17:34to actually say, yeah, I'm an addict.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38So your daughter went through withdrawal symptoms.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41What was that like to watch?
0:17:42 > 0:17:44I was just crying for days.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48It was just really sad.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51The guilt and the shame.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53Every time she was crying,
0:17:53 > 0:17:57you know it's a different cry to a normal baby cry.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01It was telling me again, this is what you've done.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03What was different this time?
0:18:03 > 0:18:07Why did you know, yourself, that you wouldn't go back?
0:18:07 > 0:18:13I just knew that I had been so selfish
0:18:13 > 0:18:17and it was so devastating seeing a little baby going through that,
0:18:17 > 0:18:23and I just knew that these kids, they love me and I'm all they've got,
0:18:23 > 0:18:26so if I don't change my life for them, I never will.
0:18:26 > 0:18:31Corraine's daughter, Georgia, has suffered no lasting effects
0:18:31 > 0:18:35from the heroin that got into her even before she was born.
0:18:35 > 0:18:40- See if you can get through to five. - Five? That's easy.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44Mum! That was your fault!
0:18:44 > 0:18:47As Corraine got clean, she was helped by her own mum
0:18:47 > 0:18:49who had given up drinking.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52Corraine's now been off heroin for 12 years.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56My life now is basically routine.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00Get the kids up, they all have their breakfast,
0:19:00 > 0:19:02I drive them all to school.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05Just doing normal things that I felt, I want to do that,
0:19:05 > 0:19:07because I didn't have that.
0:19:07 > 0:19:12I want to go to my kids' sports day and cheer them on
0:19:12 > 0:19:14and give them more attention.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17It really does bring them on when they have that,
0:19:17 > 0:19:20you know, the things I missed out on in a way.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25I don't think I'll ever forgive myself for what happened,
0:19:25 > 0:19:31but I'm making changes in my life to look after my kids properly,
0:19:31 > 0:19:36to give them love and meet all their emotional needs and, yeah,
0:19:36 > 0:19:39I think life's going to be good in the future.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45It's easy to look at Corraine's family history
0:19:45 > 0:19:49and deduce that there is a cycle of addictive behaviour
0:19:49 > 0:19:52that is passed down from one generation to the next.
0:19:52 > 0:19:53If that is the case,
0:19:53 > 0:19:57then Corraine is certainly doing her level best to stop it in its tracks.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00For her and for her family.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04Yay!
0:20:04 > 0:20:09Can you do it where you do a cartwheel into a back one?
0:20:10 > 0:20:12Now, as well as looking after her kids,
0:20:12 > 0:20:16Corraine wants to use her experience to help others
0:20:16 > 0:20:17and that's how she found Nacro.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24I was looking through a volunteer site
0:20:24 > 0:20:27and this one just popped out at me
0:20:27 > 0:20:32and it said they're looking for people with experience
0:20:32 > 0:20:36of substance misuse and I thought, am I actually reading that right?
0:20:36 > 0:20:39I could probably be good at this
0:20:39 > 0:20:42but I didn't even know there was somewhere like that
0:20:42 > 0:20:46that wanted people like me who had been through an addiction.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51People like Corraine are fantastic at delivering
0:20:51 > 0:20:53those services cos they've been there,
0:20:53 > 0:20:56they've done it, they've got the T-shirt.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58So the support they offer people, they can say,
0:20:58 > 0:21:01"We've been here, we've done that, we know how you're feeling
0:21:01 > 0:21:03"and we know you can get off substances."
0:21:06 > 0:21:09I just thought, I'm just one of those lowlifes
0:21:09 > 0:21:13who's had an addiction and never done anything good in my life
0:21:13 > 0:21:17and there was nothing left out there really for me.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21Since Corraine's been volunteering, she's been taking on new challenges
0:21:21 > 0:21:25and as well as helping others, she is learning and developing herself.
0:21:25 > 0:21:30I'm a little bit nervous because it's a lot of new people, so...
0:21:32 > 0:21:35Today Corraine is giving a first-hand account of addiction
0:21:35 > 0:21:37to new volunteers.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43The story is about a girl I know very well.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45She didn't have the best start in life.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48It's quite nerve-wracking delivering training to people
0:21:48 > 0:21:51so you can see how much she's grown in confidence
0:21:51 > 0:21:53from not really wanting to talk in the group
0:21:53 > 0:21:56to now actually delivering training within the group.
0:21:56 > 0:22:02The important message I want to share today is that people can change.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04I believe in them, and last but not least,
0:22:04 > 0:22:07there is always great hope for the future.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09I did it and you can too.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12Corraine's next goal is to get a paid job
0:22:12 > 0:22:16helping people with substance abuse and mental health issues.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21Now she is registered on an Access course at college
0:22:21 > 0:22:24so she's hoping to go on to further education and higher education
0:22:24 > 0:22:28which is fantastic and she's just come on in leaps and bounds.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31Corraine is now an inspiration
0:22:31 > 0:22:33to others who have struggled with substance abuse
0:22:33 > 0:22:37and she wants to show that you can go from being a burden on society
0:22:37 > 0:22:40to someone who can raise a family, lead a stable life
0:22:40 > 0:22:44and make a positive contribution to everyone around you.
0:22:44 > 0:22:49It's just absolutely unbelievable, the people you meet
0:22:49 > 0:22:51and now helping other people.
0:22:51 > 0:22:52It's just great.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07Jujitsu, a martial art developed centuries ago
0:23:07 > 0:23:09by Japan's samurai warriors.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13Alden's Mark Kemp was a skilled instructor.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16But it turned out he was equally skilled
0:23:16 > 0:23:18at fiddling the benefit system
0:23:18 > 0:23:21because while he was doing this, he was also collecting
0:23:21 > 0:23:23tens of thousands of pounds
0:23:23 > 0:23:26meant for people with severe mobility problems.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33At the Department for Work and Pensions' Manchester office,
0:23:33 > 0:23:36the fraud team works hard to catch the tiny minority
0:23:36 > 0:23:38who try to play the system.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42They are helped by tip-offs like the ones they had received about Kemp.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46Mark Kemp had been in receipt of disability living allowance
0:23:46 > 0:23:48since 1992.
0:23:48 > 0:23:53He had claimed disability allowance on the basis that he'd had a stroke
0:23:53 > 0:23:56and that he had severe lower back pain, pains in his legs
0:23:56 > 0:23:58and was virtually unable to walk.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02He said he couldn't walk more than 20 yards in five minutes.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06Mark Kemp's mobility problems were so severe, he received
0:24:06 > 0:24:12the highest rate of DLA, which included an allowance for a car.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14For many people, it's a life-changing benefit
0:24:14 > 0:24:19but it comes on the condition that if your circumstances improve,
0:24:19 > 0:24:21you must tell the authorities.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25Four years after his stroke, Kemp had the chance to do just that
0:24:25 > 0:24:29when it came time to reapply for DLA.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33Instead, he claimed his mobility problems were ongoing.
0:24:33 > 0:24:38In 1996 he filled a renewal form in, and again,
0:24:38 > 0:24:42reaffirmed his condition that he'd had strokes
0:24:42 > 0:24:46and that he'd had severe mobility needs
0:24:46 > 0:24:50and that he used a cane to assist him with walking.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54On the basis of that declaration,
0:24:54 > 0:24:58Kemp continued receiving the allowance for the next 15 years.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01But the law would eventually catch up with him.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05In 2012, someone who had seen Kemp in action at a class
0:25:05 > 0:25:07reported him to the authorities.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13The allegation came in - suggested that he had been actively
0:25:13 > 0:25:16involved with a local martial arts group,
0:25:16 > 0:25:19so our investigation started from there.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21And that wasn't all.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25The team was also told that Kemp had a Motability vehicle.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28When somebody has a Motability vehicle,
0:25:28 > 0:25:32they have it on the basis that they are entitled to
0:25:32 > 0:25:35Disability Living Allowance at the higher rate.
0:25:35 > 0:25:40That's normally reserved for people who are virtually unable
0:25:40 > 0:25:43to walk any length of distance.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47The DWP's fraud team launched a surveillance operation
0:25:47 > 0:25:49involving secret filming.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53The aim - to prove Kemp was lying about his mobility problems.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57The surveillance on Kemp lasted around two months.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59It involved a couple of sessions where
0:25:59 > 0:26:05he was actively teaching students in martial arts, once in Nuneaton,
0:26:05 > 0:26:08and another time in Tameside in Manchester.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13And when the team reviewed the footage,
0:26:13 > 0:26:16they were shocked at what they saw.
0:26:16 > 0:26:17This is Mr Kemp.
0:26:17 > 0:26:23And he's demonstrating to students jujitsu moves -
0:26:23 > 0:26:27as you can see, a series of kicks and body blows
0:26:27 > 0:26:29being parried by Mr Kemp.
0:26:29 > 0:26:35And, clearly, he's as fit and active as anybody else in the room.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40The footage was the clear evidence the fraud team had been looking for.
0:26:42 > 0:26:48It is a blatant fraud, and, clearly, Mr Kemp's physical capabilities
0:26:48 > 0:26:53had improved since he put his original claim in in 1992.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58But to rule out any doubt, investigators also gathered footage
0:26:58 > 0:27:01of Kemp going about his day-to-day life.
0:27:01 > 0:27:06Here we have video evidence of Mr Kemp
0:27:06 > 0:27:09on a family day out in Southport.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13My investigators had followed him from his home in Oldham that day.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17And in total he walked three-and-a-half miles that afternoon
0:27:17 > 0:27:21and only had a couple of times when he sat down to take a rest.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24The secret filming had shown
0:27:24 > 0:27:27Kemp no longer had the mobility problems he claimed.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31But to work out how much money he cheated the taxpayer of,
0:27:31 > 0:27:35the fraud team had to establish when his condition improved.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41The harder part is to discern how long his capability has been
0:27:41 > 0:27:47like this, so we have to go back over his time when he was, you know,
0:27:47 > 0:27:50doing martial arts classes and get witness evidence,
0:27:50 > 0:27:54witness statements from people who participated in those classes.
0:27:54 > 0:27:58The team identified people who'd regularly attended
0:27:58 > 0:27:59Kent's martial arts group.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01They testified he'd shown no sign
0:28:01 > 0:28:04of any physical disabilities for years -
0:28:04 > 0:28:07in fact, all the way back to when he reapplied
0:28:07 > 0:28:10for the Disability Living Allowance.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14And photos on a jujitsu website backed up what they were saying.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17We managed to get...
0:28:17 > 0:28:20a decision going back to 1997,
0:28:20 > 0:28:26which meant that his overpayment for Disability Living Allowance
0:28:26 > 0:28:27grossed £35,000.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32That's £35,000 of taxpayers' money
0:28:32 > 0:28:35intended for people with severe disabilities.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39Armed with the video evidence,
0:28:39 > 0:28:42it was time to bring Mark Kemp in for questioning.
0:28:42 > 0:28:43At first, he stuck with the story
0:28:43 > 0:28:46that he still had mobility issues.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49Mr Kemp said that his capabilities hadn't changed
0:28:49 > 0:28:52since he last completed a claim form in 2006
0:28:52 > 0:28:55and he still had difficulty in walking unaided,
0:28:55 > 0:28:59and that he needed assistance when he was out and about.
0:29:00 > 0:29:02But his tune soon changed
0:29:02 > 0:29:05when confronted with the evidence against him.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08Clearly, the video evidence that we were able to gather
0:29:08 > 0:29:11during the course of the surveillance period
0:29:11 > 0:29:13refuted that.
0:29:13 > 0:29:15We showed him various video clips
0:29:15 > 0:29:17during the course of the interview, under caution,
0:29:17 > 0:29:22and he couldn't deny that he was physically capable of doing things
0:29:22 > 0:29:26that he'd said previously he wasn't capable of doing.
0:29:28 > 0:29:32After the interview, the authorities had everything they needed
0:29:32 > 0:29:34to bring Mark Kemp to court.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37Because of the strength of the video evidence,
0:29:37 > 0:29:41he pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud.
0:29:41 > 0:29:43Mark Kemp appeared at Manchester Crown Court
0:29:43 > 0:29:47and received a six-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months
0:29:47 > 0:29:49and a curfew and tagging order.
0:29:49 > 0:29:54His overpayment of £35,000 is now subject to criminal proceedings
0:29:54 > 0:29:56under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
0:29:56 > 0:30:00The Department will be seeking to secure the full repayment
0:30:00 > 0:30:03of that £35,000 through the courts.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06Mark Kemp got away with his fraud for 15 years,
0:30:06 > 0:30:10and had become so complacent he allowed photos of himself in action
0:30:10 > 0:30:12to be put online.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15Only a very small proportion of claimants abuse the system.
0:30:15 > 0:30:17What Kemp's story shows
0:30:17 > 0:30:20is that while fraudsters might think they're safe,
0:30:20 > 0:30:23investigators now have computers and cameras too
0:30:23 > 0:30:25and they will use them to find you.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32Earlier, we heard how the law was catching up with VAT fraudsters
0:30:32 > 0:30:34Emmanuel and Behnaz Scotts.
0:30:34 > 0:30:39They'd been cheating a VAT refund system designed for non-EU shoppers,
0:30:39 > 0:30:41stealing almost a quarter of a million pounds
0:30:41 > 0:30:44from the UK taxpayer in just six months.
0:30:44 > 0:30:48The Scotts were essentially confidence tricksters,
0:30:48 > 0:30:51and this was a serious and quite complex fraud.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55Now, armed with the Scotts' bank account details,
0:30:55 > 0:30:59evidence from boutiques and proof of the purchase of date stamps,
0:30:59 > 0:31:04HMRC had all they needed to raid the couple's luxury penthouse.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07The first search took place in the September of 2010.
0:31:07 > 0:31:12Officers attended and they arrested Mr Scotts at the premises.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15It was evident that they were living a lavish lifestyle.
0:31:15 > 0:31:17They regularly enjoyed fine dining.
0:31:17 > 0:31:21They purchased a number, a high number, of luxury items,
0:31:21 > 0:31:24accessories, clothing, shoes, handbags,
0:31:24 > 0:31:27along with make-up, perfume.
0:31:27 > 0:31:29The list was endless.
0:31:29 > 0:31:33But despite all the opulence, they still weren't averse to
0:31:33 > 0:31:36receiving yet another helping hand from the taxpayer.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39The investigation revealed that both Mr and Mrs Scotts
0:31:39 > 0:31:41had no form of declared income.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43They were both registered as unemployed
0:31:43 > 0:31:44and they were in receipt of benefits,
0:31:44 > 0:31:46in particular, housing benefit,
0:31:46 > 0:31:49which I believe was paid for in the region of £700 a week.
0:31:51 > 0:31:53During the raid, investigators found the date stamps
0:31:53 > 0:31:57they suspected had been used on the VAT refund forms.
0:31:57 > 0:32:01They also uncovered financial records that shed more light
0:32:01 > 0:32:04on the complex web of accounts the Scotts had set up
0:32:04 > 0:32:07to manage their criminal earnings.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10In total, there were in excess of 140 bank accounts.
0:32:10 > 0:32:15Analysis of those accounts showed that there were many transactions,
0:32:15 > 0:32:19equal to £4 million, being credited to their accounts.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21Once we started looking at the transactions
0:32:21 > 0:32:23in the bank accounts more closely,
0:32:23 > 0:32:26it became apparent that they had in the region
0:32:26 > 0:32:28of 50 alias identities.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31It was incredible to think that between them
0:32:31 > 0:32:34they were able to facilitate that many alias identities
0:32:34 > 0:32:37and keep on top of all of the passwords that would be necessary
0:32:37 > 0:32:40for the bank accounts and maintaining their personal data.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44Emmanuel Scotts was taken from the penthouse
0:32:44 > 0:32:47to Chelsea Police Station for questioning.
0:32:47 > 0:32:50How would he account for the date stamps, the bank accounts
0:32:50 > 0:32:53and the millions of pounds of undeclared income?
0:32:53 > 0:32:56When he was asked to provide an explanation
0:32:56 > 0:32:59as to where the credits in his bank account were coming from,
0:32:59 > 0:33:01he maintained that he was a professional gambler.
0:33:01 > 0:33:07Scotts claimed he'd regularly win between £10,000 and £70,000 a night.
0:33:07 > 0:33:11But when HMRC contacted the casinos the Scotts liked to visit,
0:33:11 > 0:33:14they were told, while the couple did like to gamble,
0:33:14 > 0:33:16they rarely won.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19Similarly, while Scotts admitted visiting the three shops,
0:33:19 > 0:33:23his recollection of events was rather different.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26He denied creating the false sales invoices for Chanel,
0:33:26 > 0:33:28and he also denied ever approaching them
0:33:28 > 0:33:30and asking for the VAT reclaim forms,
0:33:30 > 0:33:33despite the fact that Chanel staff remembered it clearly.
0:33:33 > 0:33:37And it was the same story for the date stamps uncovered in the raid.
0:33:37 > 0:33:40When he was questioned about the purchase
0:33:40 > 0:33:42of the specialist fixed date stamps,
0:33:42 > 0:33:45he struggled to provide an explanation, and later alluded to
0:33:45 > 0:33:49the fact that he couldn't remember why they had been purchased,
0:33:49 > 0:33:52and that they must have been bought for a business that didn't take off.
0:33:53 > 0:33:57But nobody was buying that.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00Effectively, Mr and Mrs Scotts used the false custom stamps
0:34:00 > 0:34:03to give an image that they had exported the goods
0:34:03 > 0:34:04out of the country
0:34:04 > 0:34:07when, in fact, the goods had never even been purchased.
0:34:07 > 0:34:11Subsequently that allowed them to reclaim the VAT fraudulently.
0:34:12 > 0:34:16Emmanuel was charged with intent to defraud HMRC
0:34:16 > 0:34:18and handling the proceeds of crime.
0:34:18 > 0:34:22But it was more difficult to prove Behnaz's part in the fraud.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25It was always HMRC's belief that Mrs Scotts was
0:34:25 > 0:34:28as involved in the fraud as Mr Scotts was,
0:34:28 > 0:34:32as there was evidence to show that the money being claimed
0:34:32 > 0:34:36was being paid into as many of her bank accounts as they were his.
0:34:36 > 0:34:40However, she insisted she'd known nothing about that fraud.
0:34:40 > 0:34:44Eventually, she was charged with handling the proceeds of crime.
0:34:44 > 0:34:48In March 2012, the case went to the highest court in England
0:34:48 > 0:34:51and Wales, the Central Criminal Court, the Old Bailey.
0:34:52 > 0:34:54- JUDGE:- You may be seated.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57Confronted with the weight of evidence against them,
0:34:57 > 0:35:01the Scotts had a change of heart, and both pleaded guilty.
0:35:01 > 0:35:04He was subsequently sentenced to four years' imprisonment
0:35:04 > 0:35:06for the back fraud and three years' imprisonment
0:35:06 > 0:35:10for the money laundering, which he's serving currently.
0:35:10 > 0:35:12During the sentencing,
0:35:12 > 0:35:16it was discovered Emmanuel had been prosecuted for an identical fraud
0:35:16 > 0:35:19involving John Lewis department stores,
0:35:19 > 0:35:22and was also under investigation by the Metropolitan Police
0:35:22 > 0:35:24for a major cheque fraud.
0:35:26 > 0:35:28The judge wasn't convinced by Behnaz's claim
0:35:28 > 0:35:31she knew nothing about the VAT fraud.
0:35:32 > 0:35:36She was subsequently sentenced to 51 weeks imprisonment,
0:35:36 > 0:35:39which was suspended for a period of two years,
0:35:39 > 0:35:41and she had a 12-month supervision order with
0:35:41 > 0:35:44a requirement for her to attend a probation programme.
0:35:44 > 0:35:48In addition to that, she had a curfew order with a tag for four months.
0:35:50 > 0:35:55A great result for the Criminal Investigations team at HMRC.
0:35:55 > 0:35:58It was quite clear that Mr and Mrs Scotts are serial fraudsters
0:35:58 > 0:36:02and would continue to commit frauds unless they were dealt with.
0:36:02 > 0:36:05But the office's work wasn't over yet.
0:36:05 > 0:36:11HMRC's policy is always to, not only obtain a successful conviction,
0:36:11 > 0:36:15but to do everything in its power to recover
0:36:15 > 0:36:19the proceeds of the crime by whatever legal means are available.
0:36:19 > 0:36:22The judge determined that the couple had benefitted
0:36:22 > 0:36:26by their criminal lifestyles to the tune of £4.1 million,
0:36:26 > 0:36:29and as such, he also determined that they had assets available to
0:36:29 > 0:36:33meet a confiscation order, and these were valued in excess of £53,000.
0:36:35 > 0:36:40In July 2013, the team went back to the Scotts' rented apartment
0:36:40 > 0:36:42to confiscate the couple's valuables.
0:36:43 > 0:36:47On this occasion, they seized in excess of 600 designer items of
0:36:47 > 0:36:52clothing and accessories, which have been determined as available assets.
0:36:53 > 0:36:58The proceeds of the Scotts crimes took 15 officers a whole day
0:36:58 > 0:36:59to list and box.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02Though most of the money the couple had stolen was gone for ever,
0:37:02 > 0:37:07HMRC investigators were determined to get back as much as possible
0:37:07 > 0:37:10for the taxpayer, and as we're about to see,
0:37:10 > 0:37:13these expensive luxuries would be the key.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21The sleepy village of Swardeston in Norfolk.
0:37:21 > 0:37:23It's mentioned in the Domesday Book.
0:37:23 > 0:37:26Not somewhere you would associate with the world of high fashion,
0:37:26 > 0:37:30but today's different, because this is the place HMRC have chosen
0:37:30 > 0:37:32to hold their proceeds of crime auction.
0:37:34 > 0:37:36It's a big day for investigator Emma,
0:37:36 > 0:37:38who's hoping for a good turn-out.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42All the items that are here today have been advertised as items
0:37:42 > 0:37:45that have been seized by HMRC.
0:37:45 > 0:37:47There will be various people attending,
0:37:47 > 0:37:50there will be passing trade, members of the public,
0:37:50 > 0:37:53through to specialist dealers and collectors.
0:37:55 > 0:37:59Everyone's hoping to get a bargain, knowing that their fancy shoes
0:37:59 > 0:38:03and strange, furry bags have been seized by the HMRC
0:38:03 > 0:38:06under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08The Proceeds of Crime Act is the legislation
0:38:08 > 0:38:10used by all law enforcement departments
0:38:10 > 0:38:12to determine the extent and whereabouts
0:38:12 > 0:38:15of criminal benefit. Without it, we wouldn't be able to pursue
0:38:15 > 0:38:18the recovery of the country's stolen finances.
0:38:19 > 0:38:23To get to this point has been a long process for Emma.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26The process that's involved with that is,
0:38:26 > 0:38:28I would have to get the items authenticated and then
0:38:28 > 0:38:32subsequently valued for a second-hand value on the re-sale market.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35Once I've got all the facts, I then present that to the court
0:38:35 > 0:38:38and the judge will then determine whether or not he considers
0:38:38 > 0:38:42the assets to be available to pay any subsequent confiscation order.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45Ultimately, he did find the assets as available,
0:38:45 > 0:38:48and that's why we're here today, to sell the goods.
0:38:48 > 0:38:52We hope to send out the message that we don't stop at sentencing,
0:38:52 > 0:38:53and that wherever possible,
0:38:53 > 0:38:56we seek to pursue recovery of criminal benefits.
0:38:58 > 0:38:59And in this case,
0:38:59 > 0:39:02that includes some of the most expensive names in fashion.
0:39:04 > 0:39:08Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Jimmy Choo and many others,
0:39:08 > 0:39:13all found piled up at the Scotts' rented Chelsea penthouse.
0:39:13 > 0:39:17We hope to achieve somewhere in the region of £45,000-£49,000 today,
0:39:17 > 0:39:19but of course, it all depends on the auction on the day.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22What I can say is that the smaller items
0:39:22 > 0:39:24would have cost around £100 each,
0:39:24 > 0:39:28and the more expensive items could have been anywhere up to £6,000.
0:39:29 > 0:39:33But of course, despite being barely worn, these items are now
0:39:33 > 0:39:37second-hand and can't be expected to make those sums.
0:39:37 > 0:39:39Add to that the unpredictability of an auction,
0:39:39 > 0:39:42and as the bidding starts, it's a nervous time for Emma.
0:39:43 > 0:39:46We'll start the sale now. Good luck.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49Number one, which is a Christian Louboutins. We'll start there.
0:39:49 > 0:39:53Lot one now. How much for these now? £50 for these somewhere.
0:39:53 > 0:40:00£40, bid with me. At £40. Five anywhere? At five. £50 bid. At £50.
0:40:00 > 0:40:05With me in the book. I'm selling then. All done at £50, Carrie.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08The auction gets off to a bit of a slow start.
0:40:08 > 0:40:13These are brand-new. They're £500 in the shop. They're worth £100. £80?
0:40:13 > 0:40:16£60 bid. At £60 and bid. Five...
0:40:16 > 0:40:21But soon, the bidding gathers pace, and Emma's feeling a lot happier.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24We must have around 50 people here at the moment, and the bids
0:40:24 > 0:40:28are already coming in thick and fast, so it should be a good day.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30- AUCTIONEER:- Lovely bag there now.
0:40:30 > 0:40:35And a good day for Emma and the HMRC is a good day for the taxpayer,
0:40:35 > 0:40:37because the money raised here goes back in the pot
0:40:37 > 0:40:41that pays for essential services that we depend on, and as Emma
0:40:41 > 0:40:46tallies the rising total, it's clear the sale is going according to plan.
0:40:46 > 0:40:48We've stepped outside from the auction, which is going
0:40:48 > 0:40:51really well at the moment. We haven't quite got to the juicy stuff,
0:40:51 > 0:40:55such as Chanel or Louis Vuitton, but things are flying quite nicely
0:40:55 > 0:40:59off the shelves, so to speak, so fingers crossed it will all go well.
0:40:59 > 0:41:04Selling then. £1,250. Thank you very much.
0:41:04 > 0:41:08At £1,400. All done. Benton. Thank you very much.
0:41:08 > 0:41:13Selling then. All done at £1,150.
0:41:13 > 0:41:14Sam buys the bag.
0:41:16 > 0:41:18And when it comes to the big-ticket items,
0:41:18 > 0:41:23including the Scotts' beloved Chanel, bids come flying in.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26Even the auctioneer's daughter gets involved.
0:41:26 > 0:41:31Selling it then. All done at £1,350, my daughter.
0:41:31 > 0:41:36I paid £1,350 for this today, but I think it's still a great bargain.
0:41:36 > 0:41:38Would have cost an absolute fortune...
0:41:38 > 0:41:42And there are plenty of bargains to go around.
0:41:42 > 0:41:49I bought a lovely rose, cos I'm a rose in a garden of weeds.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54And they go very nice on your dresses.
0:41:55 > 0:41:57And I do like Chanel, so...
0:41:57 > 0:41:59I could afford it here.
0:41:59 > 0:42:02In the Chanel shop, they're rather expensive.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06Eventually, every one of the 600 items
0:42:06 > 0:42:09confiscated from the Scotts' spending spree has been
0:42:09 > 0:42:14snapped up for genuine money, just ever so slightly less than expected.
0:42:15 > 0:42:17It's been a really successful day.
0:42:17 > 0:42:21We've sold absolutely everything, raising over £42,000.
0:42:21 > 0:42:24A lot of happy bidders, and it's all great,
0:42:24 > 0:42:27cos it's all money back for the country's finances and the taxpayer.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31And what are those happy bidders' thoughts
0:42:31 > 0:42:34on where their bargains have come from?
0:42:34 > 0:42:35I thought it was very, very nice,
0:42:35 > 0:42:39but I can't imagine one woman having so much stuff.
0:42:39 > 0:42:44It was absolutely too much, cos if you have one nice thing,
0:42:44 > 0:42:47you appreciate it, but if you have that amount,
0:42:47 > 0:42:49it's not very good, is it?
0:42:49 > 0:42:52It's quite nice when somebody's just paying good, honest money
0:42:52 > 0:42:54gets to have the bag in the end.
0:42:54 > 0:42:56There's a moral in here somewhere.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00It's better to work hard and pay for what you get properly,
0:43:00 > 0:43:04isn't it, otherwise, as you can see, it gets taken away from you.