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Millions of pounds of public money is believed to have been scammed through bogus Universal Credit claims.

Claimants are reportedly being left owing hundreds of pounds as fraudsters set up false advances against the benefit in their name.

The BBC claim that such spurious claims include one from "a 19-year-old with six blind children" and another saying "Harry Kane" was their landlord.

It says criminals are exploiting a loophole in the online system to fraudulently apply for Universal Credit , then register for an advance payment. Advance payments are essentially loans against future benefit payments, introduced as a failsafe to ensure new claimants don't have to wait five weeks for their first instalment of money.

The Government says it is determined to bring fraudsters to justice, with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) saying it has already secured its first conviction for this type of fraud.

As reported previously, a 26-year-old pregnant mum claimed she was left 'penniless' when she applied for a loan online - only to later realise the site she had signed up to had instead made a Universal Credit application in her name.

Often, the first a victim knows they have been scammed is often when the DWP writes to say they are now on Universal Credit, and that any other benefits they are on are being stopped immediately.

The scammers often charge a fee to provide the initial 'loan'.

(Image: PA)

The BBC claim a benefits official stated that in one job centre, more than a third of claims are currently suspected of being bogus, while £100,000 of fraudulent activity each month was recorded at another branch.

It's reported that another estimated 10% of advance payment claims are potentially bogus, suggesting fraud rates on Universal Credit are about four times higher than on most other benefits.

When the Government introduced its flagship benefit reform - which replaced six legacy benefits, and has now rolled out to all new claimants on Teesside - it hoped to save around a billion pounds in fraud and error.

The BBC report claims posts on an internal DWP message board show that fraudsters are using character names like Bart and Homer from The Simpsons, or using the name of England captain Harry Kane as their landlord.

The scam is reportedly particularly rife in the North-west.

DWP minister Baroness Buscombe told the BBC: "We're encouraging people to listen to their instincts. If someone offers you a low-cost loan from the government, they may be trying to steal your identity.

"Treat your personal information for benefits in the same way you would for your bank. And if you think you've been targeted, we urge you to report it urgently."