A MAN fraudulently claimed £33,000 benefits in an elaborate scam involving fake landlords and a number of properties.

Cabbie Hashmi Hussain, 37, from Westcliff Park Drive, Westcliff, created false documents claiming he paid rent to fictitious landlords Riaz Syed and Aun Shabbir.

Southend Council said Hussain bought a property in West Road, Southend, and later one in Westcliff Park Drive, under false names so he could claim the owners were landlords and fraudulently apply for housing and council tax benefits.

He even got his mother involved by filling out housing benefit forms on her behalf.

Judge Alan Saggerson said he “spent five years thieving from the public purse” and warned he faces jail.

The council investigation discovered Hussain was a landlord himself, and during the five-year fraud, rented out other properties without declaring income.

Hussain, who was born Imtiaz Syed, but changed his name by deed poll, claimed benefits at the house in West Road, Southend, from 2002 to 2005, claiming a Riaz Syed was his landlord.

He supplied forged documents to Southend Council saying he was paying rent to the landlord, who the authority was unable to trace.

In 2005, Hussain moved to the property in Westcliff Park Drive, where he claimed to be renting from the registered owner called Aun Shabbir, who the council also could not trace.

He filled out forms saying his mother was now renting the West Road property from Riaz Syed.

When police and council officers raided the Westcliff Park Drive address in February 2009, they discovered identity documents in the names of Riaz Syed and Aun Shabbir, as well as blueprints for a property in Pakistan.

Hussain admitted ten counts of benefit fraud, between June 2002 and July 2007.

These included four counts of falsely claiming Riaz Syed was his landlord, and one count of providing a false tenancy agreement between himself and Riaz Syed.

There were two charges of filling out fraudulent applications on behalf of his mother, and one of falsely claiming Aun Shabbir was his landlord.

Hussain admitted two other charges of failing to declare rental income, or the properties in Pakistan and West Road.