Nigerian Couple Femi Akanbi, Wife Jailed In UK For £650,000 Tax Scam
Femi Akanbi UK tax scam sees couple get 3 years 9 months each after stealing 107 TfL staff data to file 139 fake rebates. Judge calls it worst TfL breach ever.
PIXEL PULSE — CRIME & DIASPORA
LONDON — Verified: A Femi Akanbi UK tax scam has landed a Nigerian couple in prison after Woolwich Crown Court jailed both couples for three years and nine months each over a £650,000 fraud using stolen Transport for London staff data.
The convicts are 51-year-old Femi Akanbi and his 38-year-old wife, Luciana Akanbi, who lives in Dartford, Kent. Luciana worked in Human Resources at TfL and accessed colleagues’ private information to run the scheme.
How Femi Akanbi’s UK Tax Scam Worked
Prosecutors told Woolwich Crown Court that the couple used passport numbers, National Insurance numbers and bank details of 40 TfL employees to submit 139 false tax rebate claims to HM Revenue and Customs.
The fraud ran between September 2021 and January 2022. Total claims filed were worth just under £649,000. The actual loss to HMRC was over £433,000.
Luciana had access to the personal records of 107 employees. The couple set up multiple self-assessment accounts using 38 computer devices from their home and other locations.
Judge David Miller described it as the worst data breach in TfL’s history. “TfL suffered their worst ever data breach. It meant they had to change their systems,” he said.
He added: “It affected their morale, I am told, and staff performance. You acquired and used the personal details of 40 employees in relation to making the claims for tax rebates, but accessed the details of 107 employees”.
Money Laundered Through Complex Scheme
The court heard the stolen money was “almost instantly dissipated in a complex money laundering scheme”. About £66,000 was traced to Femi Akanbi’s account and £16,000 to Luciana.
Prosecutors said part of the proceeds was spent through gambling accounts. The defence claimed Femi struggled with a gambling addiction linked to illness during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Judge Miller ruled both played central roles. “The breach was made possible by Luciana’s access as a trusted employee,” he said.
TfL Overhauls Security After Femi Akanbi UK Tax Scam
Richard Mullings, TfL’s Head of Counter-fraud and Corruption, confirmed the organisation introduced more stringent multi-factor authentication for database access and real-time monitoring of employee activity on sensitive servers.
An investigator noted the breach created “an atmosphere of profound distrust within the HR department where Luciana Akanbi had worked”.
Staff whose data was harvested faced disruptions to personal credit ratings and underwent investigations by tax authorities to clear their names.
Deportation Likely After Sentence
As the Akanbis begin their sentences, the Home Office is expected to review their immigration status. The judge noted their potential liability for deportation.
The pair were jailed for three years and nine months each — a combined 90 months.
Why This Femi Akanbi UK Tax Scam Matters
HMRC and the NCA have intensified crackdowns on tax and VAT fraud. A separate gang was jailed for 24 years for £2.4m VAT fraud. In another case, 16 people were convicted for smuggling £42m cash to Dubai.
For Nigerians in diaspora, the case is a warning. Insider access abuse carries heavy jail time and deportation risk. UK courts are treating data-enabled tax fraud as organised crime.
The Femi Akanbi UK tax scam shows how one HR job can compromise 100+ colleagues. TfL’s system overhaul proves the damage goes beyond money — it breaks trust.
