HM Revenue and Customs officers have arrested two men over a suspected fraud linked to the coronavirus furlough scheme.

Arrests made in suspected £70,000 furlough fraud: A company director and an accountant, aged 51 and 43 respectively, were arrested when officers attended two homes, one in Romford and one in Walthamstow, East London.

The arrests were made as Chancellor Rishi Sunak is being urged to extend the scheme for workers. MP’s have said that ending it next month will put hard hit firms in jeopardy of going bankrupt and could cause long term unemployment.

Mr Sunak, who has extended the scheme in the past, is adamant that it will finish on 31st October. With firms being given £1000 for every furloughed employee returning to work.

Earlier in the week a top civil servant working for the HMRC, Jim Harra, said that they would be targeting fraudsters. But people who made “genuine” mistakes would not to prosecuted but would be expected to pay the money back. The first arrest made for suspected fraud of the scheme was made on 8th July. When a 57-year-old man was detained over claims he made for £495,000.

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