The gang fraudulently obtained nearly £54m in Universal Credit after submitting around 6,000 bogus claims and spent the cash on luxury cars, designer clothing and high-end watches
Lauran O’Toole and Laura Hill
08:54, 05 Jan 2026
Galina Nikolova and Stoyan Stoyan(Image: Instagram)
A criminal network responsible for Britain’s most significant benefit fraud scandal, having stolen nearly £54 million to fund extravagant lifestyles, has been ordered to return a tiny portion of their ill-gotten gains.
The gang – Galina Nikolova, 38, Stoyan Stoyanov, 27, Tsvetka Todorova, 52, Gyunesh Ali, 33, and Patritsia Paneva, 26 – dishonestly secured £53,901,959.82 through Universal Credit schemes by lodging approximately 6,000 fraudulent applications. The five confessed to fraud and money laundering charges in May 2024, receiving collective prison sentences totalling 25 years.
All members bar Ali have subsequently been freed and now face deportation proceedings. During confiscation proceedings, prosecutors confirmed ongoing attempts to retrieve the stolen funds following the gang’s transfer of most of the money abroad.
The group has been instructed to reimburse merely £2 million – approximately 1% of the total stolen amount – according to The Telegraph.
Earlier court proceedings revealed the scheme operated on an “industrial scale” from back offices within three corner establishments in Wood Green, north London, reports the Express.
Employing genuine individuals alongside stolen identities, the network submitted false benefit applications backed by forged documentation. Following rejected applications, the criminals persistently resubmitted claims until approval was granted.
The stolen funds were subsequently spent on premium vehicles, designer garments, and expensive timepieces whilst the gang relished their opulent way of life. The four-year scheme was ultimately brought to light in May 2021 following a tip-off from a police officer in Sliven, Bulgaria, to British authorities.
Raids across numerous properties in north London revealed hundreds of “claim packs” filled with falsified paperwork, alongside £750,000 in cash stashed within suitcases and carrier bags.
Authorities also confiscated a black Audi, two Emporio Armani timepieces, two Versace watches, Gucci footwear, and a pair of Chanel trainers.
Despite the gang’s arrest, Stoyanov persisted in lodging bogus claims, pilfering an additional £17,000 from the public purse whilst under investigation. Prosecutors described his function as serving to “act as a conduit for those higher up in the chain.”
Nikolova was sentenced to eight years behind bars, whilst her partner, Stoyanov, was handed a four-year custodial sentence.
Ali – sentenced to seven years and three months – and Todorova, who was freed on licence due to time already served on remand, remain subject to a costs hearing.
A Department for Work and Pensions spokesperson commented: “We take all fraud seriously and last year we saved an estimated £25bn through our prevention and detection activities. In this case, action is ongoing to recover further money.”