Crooked accountant hijacked NHS identities for tax fraud

An accountant from Bolton has been jailed for fraud after he diverted £40,000 due to be paid to health practitioners into his own accounts.

Sharjeel Iqbal, 29, a finance worker with the National Health Services (NHS) used his position to hijack the identities of 59 midwives, nurses, cardiologists and other NHS staff and submitted tax refund claims diverting the funds owed to them into his own accounts.

Sandra Smith, Assistant Director, Fraud Investigation Service at HMRC said that Iqbal’s crime was a “well-organized, professional attempt to manipulate the UK tax system for personal gain.”

“He stole personal data, forged signatures on tax repayment documents, submitted false claims and paid the refunds into his own bank accounts. It was an appalling plan to steal from doctors, nurses and UK taxpayers that HMRC intercepted,” Smith said, adding ”He now has a criminal record and his professional reputation is ruined.”

When officers had raided Iqbal’s residence and workplace, they recovered a significant amount of cash.

The HMRC detected suspicious activity linked to some of the hijacked identities and Iqbal’s accountancy business.

On 4 November 2016, Iqbal was jailed for 21 months after pleading guilty at a previous court hearing.