Summary
A Money Box investigation has discovered how a scam that saw criminals steal nearly £4m from 69 victims was barely investigated by the police – a response described by HMIC as “woeful”. Of the 69 cases, only 5 were passed on for investigation. We find out why.
Twelve senior tax experts have asked the Chancellor to consider a new settlement opportunity for taxpayers facing what is called the loan charge. 50,000 people have been told they owe tens of thousands of pounds to Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs due to the way they were employed in the past. These demands have caused serious financial hardship, in many cases with devastating personal consequences.
Most households are facing a serious jump in the price they pay for energy in April as the price cap on energy bills looks set to increase by up to 50%. We answer one listener’s question about whether or not he’ll still have to pay more despite only using electricity in his home and being with a 100% renewable energy supplier.
CREDITS: Presenter: Paul Lewis Reporter: Chris Flynn Producer: Dan Whitworth Researchers: Drew Miller-Hyndman and Sandra Hardial Editor: Emma Rippon
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | On a winter's night in 1974, a crime took place that would obsess the nation. |
| 0:07.0 | It was an extraordinary news story. |
| 0:09.0 | The story of an aristocrat, Lord Lucan, who's said to have killed the family Nanny, |
| 0:14.0 | mistaking her for his wife, then somehow just disappeared. |
| 0:18.0 | One of the great mysteries in English criminal history. We're still looking for |
| 0:21.7 | Lucan. It's honestly one of the most powerful stories of my lifetime. I'm Alex Fontunzelman. |
| 0:27.4 | This is The Lucan Obsession. Listen on BBC Sounds. BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts. |
| 0:36.9 | Hello, welcome to this Moneybox podcast. Is there a glimmer of hope for 50,000 people who've been told they owe HMRC tens of thousands of pounds when they say they shouldn't have to pay? Why does purely renewable electricity increase in price along with gas, and a warning for people who've started small |
| 0:55.3 | businesses. You are not protected by normal consumer laws. But first, police action against a |
| 1:02.0 | four million pound fraud has been described as woeful by Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary |
| 1:07.7 | after a moneybox investigation. Since 2018, dozens of people have reported |
| 1:12.9 | money being stolen from them by thieves, falsely claiming they were from the bank, Kleinwurt |
| 1:17.7 | Hambros. Our reporter Chris Flynn uncovered this story. Chris, what have you found? Well, put |
| 1:22.5 | simply, we discovered at least 69 victims of this four million pound fraud, but just one investigation into one of the victims' cases. |
| 1:32.2 | And even that was closed due to a lack of evidence. |
| 1:35.3 | What put you on to this fraud, Chris? |
| 1:37.1 | As these things do, often do, it started with just one person who got in touch. |
| 1:42.5 | I started speaking to 74-year-old Janet from |
| 1:46.1 | Essex in July last year after she had 25,000 pounds stolen, money which came from the sale |
| 1:53.2 | of her parents' bungalow after her mother had died. The money was my mum and dad's money, really, |
| 2:00.3 | and I just felt I'd let them down in a way. |
| 2:04.5 | I know it may sound silly, but I just thought that that was it, you know, |
... |
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