Romanian Police/HMRC
Police in Romania are targeting suspected gangs behind the complex fraud in which the stolen data was used to fraudulently claim tax repayments from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), police said.
Thirteen people were detained during an armed raid around Bucharest, and gorgeous cars and a pile of cash were seized. The 14th man was arrested in Preston.
According to HMRC, fraudsters have accessed UK taxpayer personal data through sophisticated phishing operations and were used to make counterfeit claims for tax refunds.
The HMRC said “millions” were believed to have been stolen without specifying the amount, but Romanian police said more than £1 million had been stolen.
Romanian Police/HMRC
Armed police officers raided Romanian property, leading to the seizing of cash wads
In a collaboration between the HMRC and Romanian police, a man and woman, ages 23 to 53, were arrested during an armed raid.
They were detained on suspicion of computer fraud, money laundering and illegal access to computer systems.
A 38-year-old man was arrested Thursday in Preston. His electronics were seized and he was questioned by an HMRC officer.
Footage issued by Romanian authorities on Thursday saw armed police officers searching for large property. There, jewelry and a large amount of cash were found.
The joint investigation team consisting of Romanian prosecutors, HMRC and the Crown Prosecutor’s Office, was established earlier this year.
HMRC/Romanian Police
Cash was discovered by officers as part of the attack
HMRC said organized gangs have used stolen data to file fraudulent claims for PAYE, child benefits and VAT refunds.
It is unclear how many people stole the information, but HMRC said it had contacted around 100,000 customers to let them know that they had detected an attempt to access their account.
Romanian police said the fraudsters accessed government gateway accounts of more than 1,000 UK taxpayers and washed the stolen funds.
The scammers tricked people into using a variety of methods to disclose security information, and HMRC emphasized that the system is not subject to cyber attacks.
Phishing Scams Common to HMRC: In 2022, the National Cybersecurity Centre discovered that it is the government agency most likely to be impersonated as third by criminals trying to obtain information.
Additional reports by Mircea Barbu.
