Romanian authorities have arrested 13 individuals suspected of participating in a sophisticated tax fraud operation targeting the United Kingdom, British officials confirmed.
The suspects, aged 23 to 53, were detained during a series of coordinated raids across Romania last week involving over 100 police officers. A 38-year-old man was also arrested in Preston, northern England, in connection with the case.
According to the UK’s tax authority, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the group allegedly used phishing attacks to steal personal data from UK citizens, which was then exploited to fraudulently claim millions of pounds through PAYE tax rebates, VAT refunds, and child benefit payments.
During the operation, law enforcement seized luxury cars, jewelry, and large sums of cash.
The arrests follow a bust in Bucharest last November, when two men, aged 27 and 36, were detained as part of a related investigation.
HMRC recently reported that fraudsters claimed £47 million ($63 million) in fake tax refunds in 2023 using stolen data, though the agency said it blocked an additional £1.9 billion ($2.6 billion) in attempted fraud.
Officials said that the breach was not due to a cyberattack on HMRC systems but stemmed from data obtained through phishing and third-party leaks.
