‘Unacceptable' amount stolen in HMRC phishing attack
HMRC Chief Executive John-Paul Marks stated that about 100,000 taxpayers have been, or will be, contacted after their accounts were locked down, and those affected will suffer "no financial loss."
The breach involved organised crime phishing for identity data to create PAYE accounts and claim repayments, but HMRC Deputy Chief Executive Angela MacDonald clarified it was not a cyber attack, but it was 'unacceptable'.
An investigation into the matter led to arrests last year, and HMRC has protected £1.9 billion worth of money from similar attacks in the last tax year.
HMRC has locked down affected accounts, removed incorrect information, and will send letters to those affected over the next three weeks to reassure them that their accounts are secure and they have not lost any money.
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Daily Mail
26 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Moment gunmen flee London millionaire's enclave after assassinating Kurdish working men's club owner in 'gang-related shooting'
New video shows the moments after a father of three was gunned down on the street in a 'gang-related murder' in a wealthy north London neighbourhood - as new information emerged about his criminal past. Erdal Ozmen, a 45-year-old Kurdish social club owner, was shot dead on Dynevor Road in the millionaires' enclave of Stoke Newington, north London, in the early hours of Tuesday morning. CCTV obtained by the Daily Mail shows the suspected gunmen calmly fleeing the scene in a black Kia sport's car seconds after the shooting. The car is seen turning right out of Dynevor Road onto Stoke Newington High Street before stopping at the traffic lights. Moments later, the car speeds off. A friend of Mr Ozlem told the Mail: 'They were waiting outside. They were in a black Kia 2024. Someone shot him in the back then came back and kicked him and shot him another two times. 'There was one person and another waiting in the car. When they left, they waited 25 seconds at the traffic lights, that's how confident. They didn't hide their face, no masks, nothing.' Mr Ozmen was part of a group of men who were jailed in 2006 for trying to shoot dead a Turkish man outside a petrol station in Tottenham three years earlier, the friend confirmed. He and another man, Ibrahim Aslan, opened fire on the man but only wounded his right arm. Police were called at 0.18am on Tuesday and Mr Ozmen was pronounced dead at the scene, with a murder investigation then launched. No arrests have been made at this stage. Detectives believe the murder - which was the sixth fatal shooting in London so far this year - was an 'isolated incident' with 'no wider risk to the general public'. Residents claimed it was 'gang related', and police acknowledged it would 'concern within the Stoke Newington community' but have not given any indication of a motive. Witness Liza Dodds, 58, a youth worker who lives in the area, said: 'My husband woke up and said there was gunshots. The instant reaction was "how do you know?" 'We both got up and had a look. A police officer was doing CPR where the person fell. It seemed like they were going forever.' Mr Ozmen has three brothers, who are set to join other members of his family to celebrate his life at a social club in Tottenham. Neighbours recalled seeing Mr Ozmen regularly hanging around the street he was gunned down on and going in and out of a 'sketchy' basement opposite where he was shot dead. Residents claimed the shooting was 'gang related', and police acknowledged it would 'concern within the Stoke Newington community' but have not given any indication of a motive Mr Ozmen's friend Ali Rizi Ojur told ITV that he was a 'very good guy, always helping people' Sandy Fabiszewska, 28, who has lived in a flat above the shooting scene for three years, said: 'I was in my bed and then I heard gunshots, it was like four gunshots. It was really loud. 'I was too scared to look out the window. When I finally came out my flatmate said don't look, don't look. 'There was just a dead man there. They tried to resuscitate him for quite a long time.' She added: 'My flatmate was outside and heard a car fleeing and someone saying 'Go, go, go'. There was definitely a car and that's why the Lime bike fell over. 'It was a car and 100 per cent more than one person. I heard screaming and a few people around. 'I think a few people came out of the basement wondering what happened.' Ms Fabiszewska said the victim would often go in and out of the basement below their flat where there was 'suspicious' activity and that it had been raided by police in the past. She explained: The flat below us is always suspicious to be honest. You can smell weed, I think they were dealing drugs. 'Then they got raided quite a while ago. I don't know what happened then. But the door was always open a few days before the shooting. People were in and out and I don't know what happened there. 'I definitely saw the victim walking around here before. He would just be going in and out of the suspicious basement below us with quite a lot of people, like five or six people.' Another local, who asked to remain anonymous, added: 'We were out when it happened so we didn't hear or see anything. 'But when we came back at around 1am, the whole area was cordoned off and the police officers told us that it will be a crime scene for a couple of days.' Mr Ozmen's friend Ali Rizi Ojur told ITV News: 'I've known him maybe more than 20 years. He is a very good guy, always helping people, he has two kids and family.' Four forensic officers in scrubs and masks were at the scene yesterday afternoon, alongside several police officers. A Lime bike was lying flat in the cordoned area. The forensic officers used torches to investigate underneath the nine cars parked on the street. Scotland Yard said the man's next of kin have been told and a post-mortem examination will take place. Detective Chief Superintendent Brittany Clarke, who leads policing for the area, said: 'Our team of detectives and forensic specialists are working at pace to establish the full circumstances that led to the tragic death of this man. 'We understand this incident will cause concern within the Stoke Newington community, however we do believe this to be an isolated incident at this stage of the investigation with no wider risk to the general public. 'Residents can expect to see an increased police presence in the area, along with a crime scene, as we carry out our enquiries. We thank them for their patience and co-operation at this time. 'We urge anyone who witnessed the incident, or who has any information that could assist us, to come forward as soon as possible.' A London Ambulance Service spokesman said: 'We were called at 12.18am [on Tuesday] to reports of a shooting at the junction of Stoke Newington High Street and Dynevor Road, Hackney. 'We sent resources to the scene, including an ambulance crew, an advanced paramedic, a paramedic from our tactical response unit and an incident response officer. 'We also dispatched a trauma team from London's Air Ambulance, which consisted of a paramedic and a doctor in car. 'Sadly, despite the best efforts of our crews, a man was pronounced dead at the scene.' Anyone who can help is asked to call police on 101, quoting CAD 108/5AUG. Information can also be provided anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Sky News
36 minutes ago
- Sky News
Diane's husband was killed by a reckless driver - the wait for justice was almost as painful
Diane Gall's husband, Martyn, had been out on a morning bike ride with his friends on their usual route one winter morning in November 2020 - when he was killed by a reckless driver. Diane and her daughters had to wait almost three years for her husband's case to be heard in court. The case was postponed three times, often without warning. "You just honestly lose faith in the system," she says. "You feel there's a system there that should be there to help and protect victims, to be victims' voices, but the constant delays really take their toll on individuals and us as a family." The first trial date in April 2022 was cancelled on the day and pushed four months later. The day before the new date, the family were told it wasn't going ahead due to the barristers' strike. It was moved to November 2022, then postponed again, before eventually being heard in June the following year. "You're building yourself up for all these dates, preparing yourself for what you're going to hear, reliving everything that has happened, and it's retraumatising," says Diane. 'Radical' reform needed Diane's wait for justice gives us an insight into what thousands of victims and their families are battling every day in a court system cracking under the weight of a record-high backlog. There are 76,957 cases waiting to be heard in Crown Courts across England and Wales, as of the end of March 2025. To relieve pressure on the system, an independent review by Sir Brian Leveson last month made a number of recommendations - including creating a new division of the Crown Court known as an intermediate court, made up of a judge and two magistrates, and allowing defendants to choose to be tried by judge alone. He said only "radical" reform would have an impact. 4:32 But according to exclusive data collected for Sky News by the Law Society, there is strong scepticism among the industry about some proposed plans. Before the review was published, we asked 545 criminal lawyers about the idea of a new tier to the Crown Court - 60% of them told us a type of Intermediate Court was unlikely to reduce the backlog. "It's moving a problem from one place to another, like moving the deck chairs on the Titanic. It's not going to do anything," says Stuart Nolan, chair of the Law Society's criminal law committee. "I think the problem with it is lack of resources or lack of will to give the proper resources. "You can say we need more staff, but they're not just any staff, they are people with experience and training, and that doesn't come quickly or cheap." Instead, the lawyers told us creating an additional court would harm the quality of justice. Chloe Jay, senior partner at Shentons Solicitors, agrees the quality of justice will be impacted by a new court division that could sit without a jury for some offences. She says: "The beauty of the Crown Court is that you have two separate bodies, one deciding the facts and one deciding law. "So the jury doesn't hear the legal arguments about what evidence should be excluded, whether something should be considered as part of the trial, and that's what really gives you that really good, sound quality of justice, because you haven't got one person making all the decisions together. "Potentially in an intermediate court, that is what will happen. The same three people will hear those legal arguments and make the finding of guilt or innocence." The most striking finding from the survey is that 73% of criminal lawyers surveyed are worried about offences no longer sitting in front of a jury. Casey Jenkins, president of London Criminal Court Solicitors' Association, says this could create unconscious bias. "There's a real risk that people from minority backgrounds are negatively impacted by having a trial by a judge and not a jury of their peers who may have the same or similar social background to them," she says. "A jury trial is protection against professional judicial decisions by the state. It's a fundamental right that can be invoked." Instead of moving some offences to a new Crown Court tier, our survey suggests criminal lawyers would be more in favour of moving cases to the magistrates instead. Under the Leveson proposals, trials for offences such as dangerous driving, possessing an offensive weapon and theft could be moved out of the Crown Courts. 'Catastrophic consequences' Richard Atkinson, president of the Law Society, says fixing the system will only work with fair funding. "It's as important as the NHS, it's as important as the education system," he says. "If it crumbles, there will be catastrophic consequences." Ms Jenkins agrees that for too long the system has been allowed to fail. "Everyone deserves justice, this is just not the answer," she says. "It's just the wrong solution to a problem that was caused by chronic, long-term under-investment in the criminal justice system, which is a vital public service. "The only way to ensure that there's timely and fair justice for everybody is to invest in all parts of the system from the bottom up: local services, probation, restorative justice, more funding for lawyers so we can give early advice, more funding for the police so that cases are better prepared." Government vows 'bold and ambitious reform' In response to Sky News' findings, the minister for courts and legal services, Sarah Sackman KC MP, told Sky News: "We inherited a record and rising court backlog, leaving many victims facing unacceptable delays to see justice done. "We've already boosted funding in our courts system, but the only way out of this crisis is bold and ambitious reform. That is why we are carefully considering Sir Brian's bold recommendations for long-term change. "I won't hesitate to do whatever needs to be done for the benefit of victims." The driver that killed Diane's husband was eventually convicted. She wants those making decisions about the court system to remember those impacted the most in every case. Every victim and every family.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Revealed: Luxury lifestyle of millionaire recruitment boss who threatened to 'gang rape and set alight' Virgin air stewardess
The thug who threatened to gang rape a Virgin air stewardess and set her alight is a 'super flash' recruitment tycoon whose business went bust with £17million worth of debts - and has two wives, we can reveal. Father-of-three Salman Iftikhar, 37, was flying in first class when he launched a vile tirade of abuse towards Virgin Atlantic staff on a flight from London Heathrow to Lahore. Wealthy passengers aboard the flight watched in horror as the recruitment boss repeatedly called steward Angie Walsh a 'f***ing b****' at 39,000ft. He later threatened to blow-up the five-star hotel the cabin crew were set to stay in. Iftikhar, a Pakistani national, was jailed for 15 months earlier this week after he left Ms Walsh 'broken' and 'traumatised' having declared she would be dragged out of her hotel room and assaulted. At the time of his arrest, Iftikhar was living in his £2m house in Iver, Buckinghamshire, where he kept a range of expensive cars - from a Range Rover, Bentley and Royles Royce - on his driveway. He lived in the six-bedroom home with one of his wives, Erum Salman, 38, and their three children, who watched in horror and tried to intervene during his in-flight drunken tirade. Together the pair run a London-based staffing company that provides training to businesses working in customer service and manufacturing. But according to those known to the couple the pair had a 'rocky marriage and would argue quite a bit' - with police being called in one instance. Back in Pakistan, however, Iftikhar has another wife - supermodel and actress Abeer Rizvi, with whom he has been married for five years. The actress, who has more than half a million followers on TikTok, has shared loved up videos of the couple looking happier than ever, cuddled up together or attending film premiers together. On Iftikhar's birthday earlier this year, the 37-year-old, who won Veet Supermodel of the Year in 2012, penned on Instagram: 'My beloved husband, on this day I want to honour you and your unique ways. … 'Disagreements may come and go, but your love and understanding comes in abundance. I am truly grateful for being able to share this journey with you.' The couple appear to enjoy an extravagant lifestyle, spending time on yachts, enjoying luxury holidays or driving around in expensive cars. Indeed back in the UK with his other wife and mother of his children, Iftikar is seen showing off a similar glitzy lifestyle. Pictures shared online show him posing in front of a royal blue Royles Royce kitted out with a white leather interior. Other images show a Range Rover, Bentley and a Mercedes parked outside the home of the six-bedroom property. However in reality, the recruitment boss, despite being very wealthy, had a failed business venture that have left him millions of pounds in debt. The business mogul previously owned an aviation recruitment business, however it went into administration owing more than £11m to HMRC and £6.885m to HSBC. The company, called Core Labour Supply Limited (CLSL), had a rapid rise and quickly started having a turnover of almost £90m in 2022. It meant Iftikhar was able to continue enjoying his taste for the high life - paying himself dividends of almost £1m a year between 2018 and 2021. But the business was badly affected by Covid and two of his biggest customers, which accounted for 35 per cent, left. The company couldn't meet repayment terms with the HMRC, forcing them into administration. He now owns a training company called Staffing Match, which he has owned since September 2024 for his wife. The London-based business provides training to businesses working in customer service and manufacturing. The couple have a number of other small related businesses, which do not have significant reserves or have made small losses. Despite this, Iftikhar, who now owns a training company called Staffing Match, still continued to live a luxurious lifestyle. A neighbour of Mr Iftikhar - who asked not to be named - revealed to the Daily Mail: 'He's definitely very flash, someone who likes to flaunt his wealth. 'How he made his money is beyond me, he ran a recruitment consultancy but I didn't really tend to see him leave for work. He was around the house most of the time. 'He moved in with his wife in 2016. At that time they had two children, but had another a few years later. I remember they threw a huge expensive first birthday party for their third child. 'The house has had a lot of work done. It had a brick frontage originally, but Salman had it all rendered. He also had a big extension round the back. 'The property used to be open, but he came along and surrounded it with big electric gates and an intercom system. 'He only ever really said hello or anything like that to me when he first moved in. After that he sort of fenced himself off and didn't really mingle with other neighbours much. 'One thing he did like was cars. He owned a Bentley and Range Rover, but he'd also drive different cars on a temporary basis. 'I think he may have been part of a car club or something like that because he'd drive a variety of different vehicles. Usually expensive looking ones. 'He was driving around in a red sports car a few months ago. He'd go out early evening sometimes and come home about 10pm revving the engine and blaring music out of the speakers. 'It was really annoying and inconsiderate especially as people were trying to get to sleep. He thought he looked cool, but he really didn't. 'I saw him a few times smoking weed on the front drive when I walked past his house towards the field. 'I gather he had issues with drugs and alcohol. I heard that at one point within the last few years he'd been banned from driving. 'His marriage had been rocky for a while, apparently, and he and his wife would argue quite a bit. The police were called to one incident last May. An officer knocked on several neighbour's doors asking if they'd heard any yelling.' Another local said: 'He'd usually tear down this road in a Range Rover or some other powerful car. 'We've got a 20mph speed limit here, but he was driving well above that. 'He was a bit of a poser when it came to cars and his house. He'd done a lot of the building work on his home around the time of lockdown a few years back. 'I thought he was a bit arrogant as he'd have friends turning up at his place at all hours and when he first moved in and was having building work done he'd parked his cars on his neighbour's driveway opposite without asking. 'The neighbour mentioned it to him and he stopped doing it, but didn't apologise or anything. I thought that was quite rude.' This week he admitted making threats to kill and racially aggravated harassment at Isleworth Crown Court, and was jailed for 15 months. Shocking footage shows Iftikhar repeatedly accusing Ms Walsh of being a racist and says: 'You called me a p*ki in front of everybody'. Iftikhar's wife and children can be heard crying in the background, pleading for him to stop as they were comforted by horrified cabin crew staff. Cabin crew were forced to discuss landing in Turkey due to his disruptive behaviour to which Iftikhar replied, 'I don't care. F*** it, go to Turkey. I have contacts'. He went on to say he knew where Mrs Walsh lived in Cardiff before shouting 'the white sheep sh****** b**** will be dead. The floor of your hotel will be blown up and it will disappear'. The court heard the incident had erupted when Iftikhar was told to stop picking up ice with his hands from the bucket at the bar he was drinking at. 'Mr Iftikhar was seen drinking champagne at the onboard bar, where he was talking to cabin crew,' said prosecutor Abdul Kapadia. 'During the defendant's first meal service, the defendant was seen helping himself to ice, leaning over bar he was drinking at, and taking ice with his hands. 'When told to stop, the defendant became irate, and started to film cabin crew with his phone, telling them: 'Do not tell me what to do you b****.' 'When asked by the cabin crew to return to his seat, he then said: 'Don't tell me what to do you racist f-king bitch. I know where you are from in Cardiff.' The pilot was then contacted, and turned the seat belt lights on. Iftekhar's profile describes him as an 'award winning entrepreneur' and 'investor' 'The defendant then shouted, and said: 'Look at this b**** having the seat belt sign on when there was no turbulence. What the f*** is this b**** doing?' Iftikhar returned to his seat and called crew member Angie Walsh a 'f****** b****.' Mr Kapadia said: 'The defendant's behaviour became worse. The cabin crew discussed a diversion to Turkey. 'The defendant was informed of this possible diversion, to which he replied: 'I don't care. F*** it, go to Turkey. I have contacts. 'The defendant then sat down, but his aggressive behaviour continued. 'His wife was ashamed. His three children were also on-board, and other crew members were called to assist, but the defendant continued shouting and swearing. 'He was slurring his words, with his voice raised. 'He shouted at the cabin crew: 'Do you know who I am?' 'The defendant's wife went to the food bar and tried to talk to cabin crew, but the defendant pushed his wife away, and shouted at her not to talk to crew. 'A crew member stabilised the wife's arm to prevent her from falling when she was pushed. 'The defendant then got up, and threatened to fight the cabin crew. 'He grabbed one flight attendant, called Tommy Merchant, and told him to shut up and go away. 'He told Mr Merchant: 'Do you know who I am? F*** off. You should know who I am. Come on you heard me. Let's go right now.' 'Staff tried to calm the defendant down. The defendant was asked if there was anything the cabin crew could do. 'But Mr Iftikhar leant forward and grabbed Ms Walsh's hand, squeezing it. 'Iftikhar called Ms Walsh a 'f****** white Welsh c***.' Mr Kapadia added: 'The defendant also threatened to blow up the floor of the Avari Lahore Hotel, where the cabin crew were due to stay. 'The defendant knew the specific hotel, but also the hotel room numbers, and threatened the cabin crew with this. 'He told Ms Walsh: 'You will be dead on the floor of your hotel'. 'Iftikhar shouted at Ms Walsh and said: 'The white sheep sh****** b**** will be dead. The floor of your hotel will be blown up and it will disappear. 'He told Ms Walsh: 'You will be dragged by your hair from your room and gang raped and set on fire'. 'The defendant said this while his three young children were crying and pleading for him to stop.' The details of the hotel turned out to be correct, and Ms Walsh had to stay there overnight, and could not sleep, Mr Kapadia said. Mr Kapadia said when the plane landed in Pakistan no action was taken against Iftikhar. Ms Walsh sat in court accompanied by her sister, Claire Walsh, who is also a Virgin Atlantic flight attendant, in their uniforms. She told how she had to take 14 months off work in a victim impact statement read to the court. She said: 'I feel like what happened that day has changed my life enormously. 'I can't quite believe that one passenger has had this much of an impact on my job, my career and my life. 'I am a strong, brave, happy stewardess, and loved my job. I am well known within the company. 'I have been flying with Virgin Atlantic for 37 years. I was working when all flights were grounded on 9/11, and I've even flown into a warzone. But this incident has broken me. 'But I don't feel strong enough anymore. I was abused for eight hours and 15 mins. It has broken me. It was a very personal attack. 'I was doing everything in my power to protect passengers and the crew from him. I felt exposed and vulnerable, especially as we were 39,000 feet in the air. There was nowhere for me to go. 'There was one moment where I felt I could not cope. I went into the cockpit and had a meltdown. I said to the captain I don't know what to do. 'Even the threat of diverting the plane to Turkey or Baku, Azerbaijan, had no effect. 'I was traumatised by the threat of being gang raped. 'Never in my entire career flying for 37 years have I not been sure what to do. 'I have had the best career in the world for 37 years. But he has taken that away from me.' Iftikhar, of Iver, Buckinghamshire, admitted making threats to kill and racially aggravated harassment, in relation to Ms Walsh. He was cleared of assault by beating and threats to kill in relation to Mr Merchant. Ben Walker-Nolan, defending, said Iftikhar was suffering from 'amnesia blood loss', which contributed to what happened. Mr Walker-Nolan added: 'Although there were over 100 incidents over the course of eight hours, the most serious, including threats to kill, were limited. 'The defendant has buried his head in the sand for a long period, and expressed regret. 'He has a long standing drug and alcohol problem which he has not addressed for many years. 'He is a successful businessman who employs a lot of people.' Iftikhar has six previous convictions arising from 15 offences, including common assault in 2004 and drink driving in 2008. He was fined £3,000 in 2021 after he was caught drink driving, as well as being under the influence of cannabis in his Rolls Royce in 2021. Family members wept in the public gallery as the judge Ms Recorder Annabel Darlow KC said: 'Your threats to kill were made in the presence of children, specifically your three young children. 'These were threats made with significant violence. 'Your children had to be comforted by cabin crew staff while you made those threats. 'Ms Walsh has given up a job which she has loved for 14 months, but thankfully has now returned to work. 'This was a sustained incident which involved repeated racist abuse to Ms Walsh. 'You have a lengthy and appalling record of misconduct. You have not addressed the underlying cause of this for many years, that is your drug and alcohol problem. 'Given your lifestyle and your ability to earn money, your harm and risk has not moved. 'This was an appalling incident which has caused long lasting and devastating consequences.' Iftikhar, who appeared in the dock wearing a grey suit with a pink shirt, and a yellow tie wept as he was jailed for 15 months. According to his LinkedIn profile he is the director and founder of recruitment firm Staffing Match. A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson commented: 'The safety and security of our customers and crew is always our top priority, and we take a zero-tolerance approach to any disruptive or abusive behaviour on board our aircraft. 'We will always work closely with the relevant authorities and will not hesitate to seek prosecution for those individuals that cause disruption onboard through unacceptable behaviour.' 'We're incredibly grateful to Angie and our cabin crew onboard who dealt with this distressing situation in a calm, courageous and professional manner.
