The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Jail for benefits conman over claim to be dead dad
Failing shopkeeper received £22,000 in father’s name from DWP
A Dundee shopkeeper who pretended to be his dead dad to scam the Benefits Agency out of £22,000 has been jailed.
Failing businessman Hassan Mirza, 40, had amassed debts of £30,000 when he began claiming benefits in his father’s name – three years after he had died.
Mirza, pictured, firstly claimed to have power of attorney for his father, Abdul Majid Mirza, and then used his details to fill out claims.
He also posed as his dead father during phone calls as he duped the Benefits Agency and Dundee City Council.
Sheriff John Rafferty told him: “This was an offence that was deliberately and clearly planned by you.
“It was not the sort of case that the court sometimes hears, where a claim was properly made and then circumstances change.
“This was a fraudulent scheme from the outset.”
Mirza, of Cowgate, admitted at Dundee Sheriff Court that between March 6 2017 and June 13 2019 he obtained £19,429.36 by fraud from the Department for Work and Pensions.
He also admitted pretending to be his father to Dundee City Council to con them into paying him £2,535.68 in housing benefit between March 6 and October 15 2017. He was jailed for eight months.
Abusinessman who posed as his dead dad to con the benefits agency out of nearly £22,000 has been jailed for eight months.
Hassan Mirza had mounted up £30,000 in debt when he started claiming benefits in his father’s name more than three years after he died.
Mirza initially claimed he had power of attorney for his father, used his details to fill out claims and then pretended to be the dead man during phone calls.
Shopkeeper Mirza, 40, posed as 72-year-old Abdul Majid Mirza to dupe the benefits agency and Dundee City Council.
Sheriff John Rafferty told him: “This was an offence that was deliberately and clearly planned by you.
“It was not the sort of case that the court sometimes hears, where a claim was properly made and then circumstances change.
“This was a fraudulent scheme from the outset.
“It commenced in March 2017 and continued until June 2019. At no stage did you decide to abandon this scheme. You determinedly pursued it.”
The sheriff continued: “When you were contacted on several occasions by the DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) you continued with the pretence.
“The pretence was that you were your late father and as a result of that fraudulent scheme, you obtained very close to £22,000 of state funds.
“Of that money, you have repaid nothing. As far as making amends, you have shown the desire to make none by paying nothing back to the government.
“Taking that amount from public resources means that others who deserve it are unable to get what they should.
“You didn’t do it for a compelling reason and you were not a vulnerable person. It is necessary that a custodial sentence is imposed.”
Mirza, of Cowgate, Dundee, admitted at Dundee Sheriff Court that between March 6 2017 and June 13 2019 he obtained £19,429.36 by fraud from the DWP.
He admitted pretending, at the News Centre on Strathmartine Road, Dundee, to the DWP he had power of attorney over his father’s financial affairs.
He claimed he was authorised to make benefit claims for Mr Mirza Sr and claimed he was his father, who had passed away on February 8 2014.
Mirza admitted inducing the agency to award nearly £20,000 in pension credit to his own bank account and to an account in the name of his father.
He also admitted pretending to be his father to Dundee City Council to con them into paying him £2,535.68 in housing benefit between March 6 and October 15 2017.
Fiscal depute Kate Scarborough told the court: “It has been confirmed that to date no money has been paid back. During the period there were several telephone calls with the accused and the DWP.
“During one call he identified himself using his father’s details and also answered the security questions.
“Eventually, suspicions were raised and workers at DWP became under the impression he was impersonating his father.
“A series of investigations were carried out and eventually a copy of the accused’s father’s death certificate was recovered.
“It confirmed his death in February 2014.”
When he was quizzed, Mirza replied: “My English not so good.” He later claimed a mystery man from Pakistan had told him how to carry out the con.
Mirza previously hit the headlines in 2018 when his decade-long fight to get a new passport was raised in the House of Commons.
Passport officials refused to supply a new document for travel to Pakistan to see his three children – because they did not believe he was related to his father.
The case was even raised by Stewart Hosie MP at Prime Minister’s Questions.