BENEFIT cheats in the North-East are to be targeted in a series of hard-hitting adverts.
The Department of Work and Pensions launched a campaign yesterday featuring former Bond villain Stephen Berkoff in a bid to crack down on fraudsters.
The adverts will reveal how hundreds of cheats are caught or reported to the benefit fraud hotline by people who agree that benefit fraud is no different to stealing and should be stopped.
Latest figures for the region show £34m of fraudulent income support and job seekers allowance claims were made between April 2002 and March 2003.
To report a benefit cheat call the hotline on 0800 854440.
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