A failing businessman who posed as his lifeless father to con the advantages company out of almost £22,000 has been jailed for eight months.
Hassan Mirza had mounted up £30,000 in debt when he determined to begin claiming advantages for his father greater than three years after he died. Mirza, 40, initially claimed he had energy of lawyer for his father, used his particulars to fill out claims, after which pretended to be the lifeless man throughout telephone calls.
Sheriff John Rafferty informed him: "This was an offence that was intentionally and clearly deliberate by you. It was not the form of case that the courtroom generally hears, the place a declare was correctly made after which circumstances change.
"This was a fraudulent scheme from the outset. It commenced in March 2017 and continued till June 2019. At no stage did you determine to desert this scheme.
"You determinedly pursued it. Once you have been contacted on a number of events by the DWP you continued with the pretence.
"The pretence was that you simply have been your late father, and on account of that fraudulent scheme, you obtained very near £22,000 of state funds. Of that cash, you have got repaid nothing. So far as making amends, you have got proven the will to make none, by paying nothing again to the Authorities.
"Taking that quantity from public sources signifies that others who deserve it are unable to get what they need to. You did not do it for a compelling purpose and you weren't a susceptible particular person. It's vital that a custodial sentence is imposed."
Shopkeeper Mirza posed as his 72-year-old father Abdul Majid Mirza to dupe the advantages company and Dundee Metropolis Council. Mirza, Cowgate, Dundee, admitted that between 6 March 2017 and 13 June 2019 he obtained £19,429.36 by fraud from the Division of Work and Pensions.
He admitted pretending, on the Information Centre in Strathmartine Highway, Dundee, to the DWP that he had Energy of Lawyer over his father's monetary affairs. He claimed that he was authorised to make profit claims for Mr Mirza snr and claimed that he was his father, who had handed away on 8 February 2014.
Mirza admitted inducing the company to award almost £20,000 in pension credit score to his personal checking account and to an account within the title of his father. He additionally admitted pretending to be his father to Dundee Metropolis Council to con them into paying him £2,535.68 in housing profit between 6 March and 15 October 2017.
Fiscal depute Kate Scarborough informed the courtroom: "It has been confirmed that so far no cash has been paid again to the Authorities. Through the interval there have been a number of phone calls with the accused and the DWP. He claimed he had energy of lawyer and was performing on behalf of his father.
"In a while he additionally claimed to be his father. Throughout one name he recognized himself utilizing his father's particulars and likewise answered the safety questions. Finally, suspicions have been raised and staff at DWP turned below the impression he was impersonating his father.
"A sequence of investigations have been carried out and finally a duplicate of the accused's father's demise certificates was recovered. It confirmed his demise in February 2014."
When he was quizzed, Mirza replied: "My English not so good." He later claimed a thriller man from Pakistan had informed him tips on how to perform the con.
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