A Nigerian couple living in the United Kingdom, Luciana and Femi Akanbi, have been sentenced to prison for orchestrating a £650,000 fraud using stolen personal data from employees of Transport for London.
Luciana Akanbi, 38, who worked in human resources at the transport body, illegally accessed sensitive information belonging to her colleagues. Prosecutors said she and her 51-year-old husband used details such as passport numbers, National Insurance numbers, and bank records of at least 40 staff members to file 139 fraudulent tax rebate claims with HM Revenue and Customs.
The scheme, which ran between September 2021 and January 2022, resulted in losses of more than £433,000 from public funds, although the total value of claims approached £650,000.
At Woolwich Crown Court, the judge described the incident as the most severe data breach in the history of Transport for London, noting that over 100 employee records had been accessed. The breach forced the organisation to overhaul its systems and had a damaging effect on staff morale and trust.
Both defendants, who live in Dartford, Kent, were each sentenced to three years and nine months in prison.
During proceedings, prosecutors said the operation was highly organised and involved multiple devices and carefully planned steps to process and move the stolen funds. A portion of the money was traced to the couple’s accounts, while a significant amount was reportedly lost through gambling and complex laundering channels.
The court also heard that Luciana initially attempted to shift blame to a relative working in IT after her arrest, while Femi was described as playing a central role in facilitating the fraud.
In sentencing, the judge highlighted the abuse of trust, particularly by Luciana as an employee with authorised access to sensitive data. He also noted the financial and emotional impact on victims, many of whom faced credit issues and additional scrutiny from tax authorities.
Officials from Transport for London welcomed the ruling, stating that new safeguards have since been introduced to prevent similar breaches. Meanwhile, HM Revenue and Customs reiterated its commitment to tackling tax fraud and urged the public to report suspicious activities.
