Nigerian couple jailed in UK for major tax fraud using TfL employee data
A UK court has sentenced Luciana Akanbi and Femi Akanbi to prison for orchestrating a large-scale tax fraud using stolen data from Transport for London employees. The couple used sensitive information to submit fraudulent tax rebate claims, resulting in significant financial losses. The case was described as the most severe data breach in the agency’s history. Both individuals were found to be central to the scheme and could face deportation after serving their sentences.
What we know
- Luciana Akanbi and Femi Akanbi were jailed for defrauding the UK tax authority through false rebate claims using stolen employee data.
- The fraud involved accessing the personal information of 107 Transport for London staff and submitting 139 fraudulent tax rebate claims.
- The scheme resulted in losses of over £433,000, with the total value of claims close to £650,000.
- The court described the operation as sophisticated and noted that the proceeds were rapidly moved through a complex money laundering network.
- Transport for London has since strengthened its internal data protection systems to prevent similar incidents.
