Woman in Disguise Took U.K. Citizenship Test for Others, Authorities Say

Among the requirements for those seeking permanent residency or citizenship in Britain is a 24-question test designed to assess applicants’ knowledge of their adopted home, covering topics including rugby, the country’s first curry house and the War of the Roses.

The test is supposed to prove that applicants have “sufficient knowledge of British values, history and society,” according to the Home Office. But one London woman, the agency said, saw it as a moneymaking opportunity.

The woman, 61, was arrested in the British capital on Monday on suspicion of fraudulently completing the exam, known as the “Life in the U.K. Test,” for at least 14 applicants, “allowing them to gain an unfair advantage in their applications to remain in the U.K.,” the Home Office said.

The woman wore different wigs and disguises, the authorities said, to impersonate applicants — both male and female — and take the test for them. Her motive, the Home Office said, was financial gain.

The woman, whom officials did not name, was still in custody on Tuesday, the agency said.

Officers received intelligence that a woman had completed the test multiple times at several different test centers between June 2022 and August 2023, “disguising herself and doctoring ID documents to evade detection from authorities,” the Home Office said in a statement.

She was arrested after officers raided an address in Enfield, a north London suburb, where officers found false documents and wigs on the property, the Home Office said. The agency added that this was “one of the most prolific cases” of its kind.