Social fraud in Austria: 43 women collect maternity leave abroad!

Social fraud in Austria: 43 women collect maternity leave abroad!

Wien, Österreich - social service fraud accepts alarming dimensions in Austria. The burden on the social system through illegal application for social benefits is a serious problem. In 2024, a total of 4,865 fraud cases were uncovered across Austria, with the federal capital Vienna particularly affected with 2,626 cases. As a result, the financial damage caused by such actions is now over 135 million euros, as https://www.kosmo.at/beverly-balkan-43-frauen-kassieren-karten-und-leben-im-ausland/).

To combat these illegal practices, the Task Force social service fraud (Solbe) was launched in the Federal Criminal Police Office in 2018. This unit has set itself the task of systematically capturing and preventing the different types of fraud. The increase in the number of cases impressively illustrates the necessity of this special unit, which has been researching 25,156 suspects since it was founded and is responsible for 23,653 ads.

The types of social service fraud are diverse. A common example is the cancellation of parental leave and social benefits. For example, 44 Romanian women were discontinued by a construction company; 43 of them related to maternity leave, even though they lived abroad. Only one woman had her place of residence in Austria, while the others also showed an Austrian registration address. Another common fraud model concerns the educational leave, in which participants paid for seminars that never took place, and yet received 60-70% of their last content. These forms of fraud not only burden the social system, they also harm the legitimate recipients of social benefits that are urgently dependent on them [Federal Criminal Police Office.

The Task Force not only deals with the abuse of parental leave, but also with other important aspects. Some people receive unemployment benefit, but live more than 300 days a year abroad. This represents a clear violation of the legal provisions. The abusive connection of pension benefits and family subsidies is also a growing problem that requires a more detailed investigation BMI.

reactions and measures

The Austrian federal government has recognized the threat from social service fraud and is committed to protecting the social system. In the government program, the need for a uniform control system to combat fraud is recorded. Experts call for more comprehensive measures to maintain the integrity of the system and to ensure effective control.

An interministerial control group has been set up to improve the exchange of information between different ministries. These measures aim to further increase the clarification rate, which is almost 100 percent. The close cooperation between the authorities identifies suspicious cases more effectively, which has led to an increase in advertisements in recent years. The measures also include targeted controls at border crossings and at the Vienna-Schwechat Airport.

In view of the multitude of fraud modes and the financial damage, the Task Force Solbe demands increased support and cooperation on the part of politics to ensure the social system.