Tens of thousands of euros

Social benefits despite possessions: Syrian rips off the state

The special police unit for social benefit fraud has once again uncovered a blatant case in Tyrol. A 47-year-old Syrian is said to have wrongfully received social benefits for two years. The suspect claimed to be destitute - but in reality he had many possessions.

It was an anonymous tip-off that put investigators on the trail of the suspected fraudster. The Syrian had deceived two authorities in Innsbruck and Kufstein for over two years by concealing various possessions and thus fraudulently obtaining social benefits.

He claimed to be penniless to the authorities, although he had significant property in Syria, such as houses, business premises and land.

Die Ermittler

Although the man had significant possessions in Syria, such as houses, stores and land, he pretended to be penniless to the authorities, the police reported.

Almost 100,000 euros in damages
During the respective applications, the suspect was explicitly asked about property ownership. He apparently denied this. All in all, the loss amount is in the upper five-digit euro range. Corresponding charges will follow.