A United Kingdom court has sentenced a Nigerian couple, Luciana and Femi Akanbi, to prison for their roles in a sophisticated tax fraud scheme involving the theft and misuse of sensitive employee data from Transport for London (TfL).
The couple was handed a jail term of three years and nine months each after being found guilty of orchestrating a large-scale fraud that exploited the personal records of TfL staff to file false tax rebate claims with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
The court heard that Luciana Akanbi, 38, who worked within TfL’s human resources and business services unit, abused her access to confidential staff records to obtain sensitive personal information, including passport details, National Insurance numbers, bank information, and other private records.
Investigators revealed that the stolen data of at least 40 employees was used to submit 139 fraudulent tax rebate claims, while records belonging to a total of 107 staff members were unlawfully accessed.
The fraudulent operation, carried out between September 2021 and January 2022, resulted in a direct loss of more than £433,000 to public funds, with the total fraudulent claims amounting to nearly £649,000.
Delivering judgment, the presiding judge described the incident as the worst data breach in the history of Transport for London, noting that the scale of the crime forced the agency to overhaul its internal systems and security measures.
The court was told that the fraudulent claims were processed through multiple self-assessment tax accounts created using dozens of computer devices, many traced back to the couple’s residence and associated locations.
According to prosecutors, the fraud was highly sophisticated and carefully planned, involving extensive use of stolen identities and a complex money laundering network that quickly dispersed the proceeds.
The judge noted that a significant portion of the stolen funds was routed through various accounts, with £66,000 paid into Femi Akanbi’s bank account and £16,000 traced directly to Luciana Akanbi.
Further findings revealed that over £50,000 of the stolen money was transferred into gambling accounts, with the court hearing that the family had been under severe financial pressure, worsened by Femi Akanbi’s gambling addiction and financial difficulties following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The judge strongly condemned Luciana Akanbi for betraying the trust placed in her as an employee with privileged access to confidential staff information.
He stated that the fraud was only possible because of her position within the organisation and the access she had to sensitive data belonging to colleagues who later suffered financial and emotional distress.
The court also heard that affected employees faced disruptions to their finances, credit ratings, and tax records, while morale within the organisation declined significantly following the breach.
Describing both defendants as being “at the epicentre” of the fraud, the judge held them equally responsible for both the intended and actual losses suffered by the public purse.
While acknowledging the couple’s family responsibilities and financial struggles, the court maintained that the scale of the fraud and the breach of trust warranted custodial sentences.
The judge further noted that the stolen funds had been completely dissipated and indicated that no immediate recovery order would be made due to the couple’s lack of available assets.
Authorities also warned that the convictions should serve as a strong deterrent to anyone seeking to exploit public systems for personal gain.
Transport officials said the case was treated with utmost seriousness, stressing that measures had since been introduced to tighten access to sensitive employee data and prevent a recurrence.
Tax authorities also reiterated their commitment to pursuing fraud cases aggressively, warning that attempts to steal public funds would continue to attract severe legal consequences.