'Immigration fraudster' arrested after wearing wigs to 'fake UK citizenship tests' for at least 14 men and women
27 January 2025, 19:35
A woman in her 60s has been arrested for disguising herself to take British citizenship tests on behalf of at least 14 other people.
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The woman, 61, was arrested on suspicion of fraudulently completing Life in the UK tests and allowing applicants to "gain an unfair advantage".
The woman, who has not been named, is said to have put on various wigs and disguises to pass herself off as the true applicants, both male and female, in an attempt to fraudulently obtain them leave to remain.
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The Home Office said investigators executed a warrant at an address in Enfield in north London on Monday, with officers seizing "several false documents and an array of wigs alleged to have been used in the fraudulent scheme".
Officers acted on intelligence that between June 1 2022 and August 14 2023, the woman allegedly attended multiple test centres in the UK, disguising herself and doctoring ID documents to evade detection from authorities.
The Home Office said fraudsters completing the test for others could "lead to people wrongly being granted the right to remain in the country without the proper due diligence".
Immigration enforcement criminal and financial investigation inspector Phillip Parr said: “This operation is the result of a complex investigation by the Criminal and Financial Investigation team.
“This individual is believed to have orchestrated a pre-meditated plan to avoid detection, meticulously selecting disguises and test centre locations across the country to evade the authorities.
“As with many criminals who commit this type of crime, we believe her motive was financial gain.
“I am pleased that thanks to the efforts of our investigators, and test centre staff, she is now in custody, and we have put a stop to this dangerous scheme.”
