The Insolvency Service cracks down on false Covid-19 support claims

The Insolvency Service has clamped down on businesses falsely claiming Covid-19 business support.

In one of many examples, Raashid Khan, who was a director of Ikandy Wholesale Ltd, was disqualified for 12 years after fraudulently claiming £50,000 through the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS).

Khan was able to transfer the full amount out of the company’s account to himself just days before his company went into administration.

Despite the company accounts being frozen after it was confirmed the company was to be shut down, Khan forged a document to convince his bank that the winding up order had been revoked.

This action allowed him to transfer around £70,000 out of the account, including a £50,000 Bounce Back Loan, which he had secured less than two weeks previously.

Since February 2021, the Insolvency Service has successfully petitioned the Courts to wind up five limited companies that have been involved in abusing government loans, introduced to help businesses during the pandemic.

Dave Elliott, chief investigator at the Insolvency Service, said: “The Bounce Back Loan scheme was made available to help support businesses during the pandemic. It is outrageous that some directors have been trying to abuse this support, and the action we have taken shows we take this issue extremely seriously.

“I urge anyone who suspects a company has been involved in this kind of abuse, or has information about directors fraudulently obtaining Covid business support, to alert us immediately.”