Had 35 identities

Port freeloaders cheated luxury hotels

The couple, who used dozens of identities to rent rooms in hotels, were kindly handed keys and access cards. Nobody could have guessed that the two fraudsters would never pay (symbolic image).(Bild: contrastwerkstatt - stock.adobe.com)

A homeless couple caused tens of thousands of euros in damage by renting hotels without paying.

Who hasn't dreamed of staying in a luxury hotel - and not having to pay anything? In recent months, a German-Austrian couple simply turned their dream into reality. The couple were probably relatively indifferent to the fact that they were breaking the law and causing a great deal of financial damage in the process.

It is thanks to a patrol on duty at Lindau-Insel station in the town on Lake Constance that the case came to light. They became aware of a couple who were behaving suspiciously. The check revealed something surprising: The 49-year-old man - who comes from Germany - and his Austrian spouse (44) were already being sought by several public prosecutors.

Woman disposed of keys in front of police officers
The reason: rental fraud. Someone stays overnight in a hotel - and disappears before the bill has been settled. The Austrian authorities also issued a search warrant for the 49-year-old man. The fraudster had not returned from a night out at a local prison. Instead, he probably decided to lead a life of luxury with his wife - the couple had not had a permanent residence since July 2024. Instead of behind barred windows, the German probably preferred to take a seat by the hot tub and swapped port food for a breakfast buffet.

While her data was being recorded, the Austrian tried to dispose of a key in a dustbin. These were the keys to a hotel in Lindau. While traveling through Germany (and presumably other countries), the couple had stayed there for three nights for 1000 euros without paying. The next reservation in an accommodation in Hesse had already been made.

Both back in custody
How many hotels, including high-end accommodation, the couple ultimately defrauded must now be investigated. The 49-year-old, who obtained a total of 35 identities for the fraudulent activities, is now back in an Austrian prison. His wife was imprisoned in Germany. The damage caused by the couple is in the mid five-figure range.