A criminal gang in Berlin is suspected of causing nearly €900,000 in damages to job centers and employment agencies through fraudulent billing for job coaching, authorities said Tuesday. Eleven men and four women are accused of invoicing for individual coaching measures that were either never provided or only partially carried out, according to a joint statement from the Berlin police and the public prosecutor’s office.
Unemployed individuals can receive coaching from approved and certified providers to support their job search, with vouchers issued by job centers and employment agencies. Prosecutors said the gang, led by a 42-year-old main suspect, exploited this system and deliberately submitted inaccurate invoices for numerous measures from May 2021 until at least July 2023.
As part of the investigation, authorities conducted 25 searches on Tuesday morning across Berlin, Brandenburg, and Saxony-Anhalt, targeting the residences of the accused, business offices, and a witness’s address. The main suspect was arrested in the Berlin district of Lichterfelde under an existing arrest warrant and was scheduled to appear before a judge later Tuesday.
Investigators also reported that five asset freezes were executed during the raids, and data storage devices and business records were confiscated.
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