Hard-up families are being targeted by fraudsters on social media, leaving them hundreds of pounds out of pocket.
A BBC investigation revealed scammers are using Facebook , Instagram and Snapchat to target Universal Credit claimants.
The scam sees the fraudster contact the claimant and say they can get them a Government grant or a payday loan.
They hand over their details and a Universal Credit claimant is made on their behalf, sometimes unbeknown to the victim.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) approves the claim and transfers the money into the claimant's bank account.
The fraudster demands a hefty "fee" before disappearing.
But because the money is a loan, the claimant is then left owing the entire amount to the DWP .
The BBC investigation revealed that one bogus claim listed the victim's five non-existent children as being called, Give, Me, Some, Money, Now.
Other fake applications included one saying Harry Kane was the claimant’s landlord and another from a 19-year-old mum claiming to have "six blind children".
The Government insisted it is determined to bring fraudsters to justice.
Earlier this week, the DWP said claimants would not need to pay back the money that scammers took, but any advance they did keep would have to be paid back the usual way.
A DWP spokesperson told The Sun: “Sadly, criminals will always attempt to defraud the benefit system and steal money from vulnerable people and the taxpayer.
“The Department is committed to bringing fraudsters to justice – last year we reclaimed more than £1.1billion in fraud and error and brought more than 5,000 prosecutions.
“We are already working with social media sites like Facebook to shut down accounts that promote fraud.
“Our dedicated team investigates all fraudulent advance claims referred to them, which represent less than 1 per cent of all claims. Where there is clear evidence that people have been scammed out of money, they will not be asked to repay it.”
A Facebook spokesperson on behalf of Facebook and Instagram said: “Everyone deserves to feel safe when they use our platforms and we do not allow fraudulent activity.
"We are taking action to protect our community, including donating £3million to Citizens Advice to raise awareness of scams and help those who have been impacted.
"We are also creating a new reporting tool on Facebook in the UK with a dedicated team to review and take action on scam and misleading ads.”
Facebook says Facebook and Instagram users can report scams using its existing in-built tools.
