Devon taxi driver jailed for cheating taxpayers out of £100,000 in Bounce Back Loans
Fake figures landed him big cash
Murat Dogantekin, 50, from Exeter, faked his income by over £350,000 to bag two Bounce Back Loans worth £100,000. In reality, his taxi business earned just £16,500 in the year before the pandemic hit.
Despite government rules allowing just one loan per business, Dogantekin secured two £50,000 loans in May and June 2020 by lying on his applications:
- Claimed £200,000 annual turnover for his taxi business
- Invented a second business with £205,000 turnover
- Falsely declared a combined income of £405,000
Had he declared his true income, Dogantekin would have qualified for only £4,125, meaning he pocketed an extra £95,875 fraudulently.
How the cash was splashed
Instead of aiding his struggling taxi company, Dogantekin rapidly moved the money offshore and into family accounts:
- Transferred £49,500 just four days after receiving the first loan
- Sent £48,000 to an overseas bank account
- Moved the second loan to a family member and his own personal account within six days
He never repaid a penny before declaring bankruptcy in November 2021.
Caught and now locked up
Exeter Crown Court handed Dogantekin a hefty jail sentence of two years and seven months on 27 February 2025.
“Bounce Back Loans were created to support small businesses during the pandemic, not for fraudsters to exploit at the expense of taxpayers,” said Mark Stephens, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service.
“Dogantekin blatantly disregarded the rules, fraudulently obtained loans, and then attempted to conceal the transactions. His deliberate misuse of public funds will not be tolerated.”
Ongoing probe and recovery
- Dogantekin dodged 11 requests for financial info over six months
- Skipped an interview under caution
- The Insolvency Service is hunting to reclaim stolen cash under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002
Authorities are cracking down hard on Covid-19 loan sharks to protect taxpayers and ensure justice.
