Two people have been arrested as part of a HMRC investigation into a suspected £70,000 Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) fraud.
HMRC officers attended residential addresses on September 10 2020 in the Romford and Walthamstow areas of London where a 43-year-old accountant and a 51-year-old company director were arrested. Digital devices and business records were also seized.
Terry Braithwaite, assistant director of the fraud investigation service at HMRC, said: “The CJRS is part of the collective national effort to protect jobs. While most employers have used the scheme responsibly, this is taxpayers’ money and HMRC will not hesitate to act on reports of abuse of the scheme.
“Anyone who is concerned their employer has abused the scheme should report it to HMRC on gov.uk or by calling our fraud hotline line 0800 788 887.”
HMRC has paid out more than £35.4bn through the CJRS to support 1.2m employers and 9.6m furloughed jobs.