23.7 million euros in fines

Reports of benefit fraud doubled

The financial police carried out around 27,000 checks in 2023 and applied for 23.7 million euros in fines.

(Bild: Eveline Hronek)

The financial police applied for 2023 penalties amounting to 23.7 million euros. A total of around 27,000 checks were carried out. There was a sharp increase in the number of reports of social benefit fraud, which doubled from 76 to 159 in the previous year.

The majority of the 23.7 million euros (20.1 million euros) resulted from labor market checks, 3.6 million euros came from illegal gambling, the Ministry of Finance announced on Tuesday.

51,356 employees were checked
A total of 51,356 employees were checked in the previous year. Of these, 4998 employees were not properly registered for social security and 3452 people were working illegally without a work permit. In addition, 4147 people were found to be in breach of the Wage and Social Dumping Prevention Act. "It is important to bring the performance of the financial police to the fore", said Finance Minister Magnus Brunner (ÖVP) on Tuesday.

In terms of general prevention, the financial police must be quick and noticeable.

Alfred Hacker, Vorstand des Amts für Betrugsbekämpfung

Fight against organized white-collar crime
The mere control activities of the financial police are increasingly being overshadowed by the fight against organized white-collar crime, said Wilfried Lehner, head of the financial police on Tuesday. The perpetrators are becoming increasingly professional and large cases are becoming more and more of a challenge, said Hacker. Last year, the financial police investigated several major cases with losses of more than 100 million euros.

The financial police carried out around 27,000 checks in 2023 and applied for 23.7 million euros in fines.

(Bild: Eveline Hronek)

Social benefit fraud
Social benefit fraud is also a major problem. This usually involves a scam in which people work illegally or partially illegally and receive social benefits such as unemployment benefit, minimum income or housing benefit on the side. Employers register their employees as part-time workers, but pay out significantly higher wages in cash and untaxed. The money is paid out using bogus invoices from bogus companies in the accounting department.

Benefit fraud combined with welfare fraud is simply an extremely lucrative business model. It is a 'win-win situation' for the entrepreneur and the employee and is therefore difficult to uncover. The best leverage is via the bogus companies, which the financial police are pulling out of circulation faster and faster. However, this also means that new ones are being set up more and more quickly.

Wilfried Lehner, Leiter der Finanzpolizei

The money is actually transferred, but is then immediately withdrawn in cash and returned to the entrepreneur as a so-called "kick-back payment", who can then make the illegal wage payment. According to the ministry, the volume of such money transfers amounts to more than 800 million euros per year. In the course of this fraud model, 152 bogus companies were discovered by the financial police last year and taken out of circulation.

Extreme case in the cleaning industry
There was a particularly extreme case in the cleaning industry. The employees were marginally employed and received unemployment benefit or emergency unemployment assistance on the side. However, the actual hours worked were higher and were paid out in the black. According to the ministry, this resulted in net earnings of around 3000 euros plus various exemptions and housing benefits. In such cases, not only the employers are prosecuted for social benefit fraud, but also the employees for social benefit fraud.

(Bild: P. Huber)

"Benefit fraud in conjunction with welfare fraud is simply an extremely lucrative business model," said Lehner. It is a "win-win situation" for the employer and the employee and is therefore difficult to detect. The best leverage is via bogus companies, which the financial police are taking out of circulation faster and faster. However, this also means that new ones are emerging faster and faster.

Many reports also relating to the cash register obligation
There were also many reports relating to the cash register obligation. In the previous year, the financial police received more than 350 reports on this topic and information that a company had no receipts, no cash register or no records at all.

However, the number of checks on illegal gambling decreased. In the previous year, the financial police carried out 282 checks and confiscated 435 gambling devices. In 2020, there were still 689 checks. "Illegal gambling establishments have practically disappeared from the cityscape due to the high control pressure exerted by the financial police," according to a statement from the ministry. However, poker casinos or gambling dens are still occasionally found in private homes or basements.