Mozambique Man Jailed for Stealing Portuguese Identity to Swipe £121K in Benefits
A man from Mozambique has been locked up for two years after posing as a Portuguese citizen and raking in more than £121,000 in UK benefits over 17 years.
Long Con Using Stolen Identity
Tricamo Farid, 40, sneaked into the UK illegally in 2000. He nabbed the identity card of a family friend, Dercio Quinta, whom he met in Lisbon back in 1999. Using this stolen ID, Farid claimed to be an EU citizen, allowing him to stay in Britain and claim benefits.
Living in Southport, Farid applied for and received a National Insurance number under Quinta’s name in 2001. He went on to claim a range of benefits from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Sefton Council, raking in public cash for nearly two decades while building a family of his own.
£121,000 in Fraudulent Benefits Uncovered
Between April 2002 and May 2019, Farid pocketed over £121,177 in various benefits, including:
- Job Seekers’ Allowance: £13,000
- Social Fund payments: £1,000
- Employment Support Allowance: £45,000
- Personal Independence Payments: £12,000
- Housing Benefit: £36,000 (claimed on four different properties)
- Council Tax Benefit: £1,500
- Tax Credits: £11,500
Fraud Uncovered, Farid Confesses
The DWP Fraud and Error Service, Merseyside Police, and Sefton Council launched a probe in 2019. Farid was grilled at Copy Lane Police Station and admitted to the scam. Officers found documents in Quinta’s name at his home, including a marriage certificate and his child’s birth certificate.
At a pre-trial hearing in April 2020, Farid pleaded guilty to 15 counts of fraud, three counts of acquiring criminal property, and several other charges.
Justice Served at Liverpool Crown Court
Today, Liverpool Crown Court handed Farid a two-year prison sentence.
Senior Crown Prosecutor George Ward said: “This is a serious social security and local authority fraud case. Farid stole the identity of a family friend and claimed thousands in public money over many years. The benefits he took are desperately needed by genuine claimants. He lived a lie for over 18 years. While he admitted it after arrest, that doesn’t erase the long deception. This jail sentence sends a clear warning to benefit fraudsters everywhere.”
