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We caught them.. we'll catch you: Jailed Calderdale fraudsters are used to warn benefits cheats
HIGH profile benefit fraud cases in Calderdale are being used to warn cheats they will be caught.
The Department for Work and Pensions is launching its latest offensive against benefit thieves – the We're Closing In campaign, which highlights the likelihood of detection.
The new drive, which includes print, radio and TV advertising, comes as the department releases its latest figures which show that dozens have faced criminal prosecution so far in 2008.
They include two Calder-dale pensioners – Ralph Dale and Brian Sutcliffe – who were jailed for their part in million pound deceptions.
In Yorkshire and the Humber 1,306 people have been interviewed by fraud investigators so far this year. The investigators work in teams with one covering Halifax and Dewsbury, which has interviewed 126 people.
County-wide 398 people received a formal caution and 507 were given an administrative penalty, and in Halifax and Dewsbury there were 26 cautions and 60 administrative penalties.
And 401 people across Yorkshire and the Humber faced prosecution, 40 of those in Halifax and Dewsbury.
Vernon Sanderson, area fraud investigation officer for Yorkshire and Humber, said: "The figures show that we are having real success stamping out benefit fraud, but while people think they can get away with it, we will keep pursuing them.
"We are having more success tracking down and preventing benefit crime every year."
Among this year's successes were deaf mute Ralph Dale, 63, of Sunnybank, Greetland, who was jailed for four years for his part in one of Britain's biggest benefit fraud scams.
He worked with his cousin Jean Hutchinson, a pensioner who ran a 2.4 million empire from a secret room behind a wardrobe at her luxury London flat.
The Courier also reported that Brian Sutcliffe, 74, was jailed for three years after admitting 11 years of fraud which funded a lavish lifestyle of foreign travel, continental timeshares and remortgage payments on his home.
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