Agents of the Research Section of the Social Security of the Central Unit of Economic Crime and Fiscal (UDEF) of the National Police, in collaboration with the Secretariat of State of Social Security, have uncovered this fraud of almost six million euros by the improper collection of pension of deceased persons. Agents have arrested nine of the 46 individuals identified in 10 autonomous communities, as allegedly responsible for a total of 53 offences of false documentary, embezzlement and misappropriation.

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“To be done with the money they hid the death of the pensioner to the Administration reaching out to falsify the certificate of faith from life and state and even the signature of the deceased, with the object of making cash refunds”, explains in a statement to the Police. The investigation began after receiving several complaints, in different parts of the country, in the reporting of potential fraud to the General Treasury of the Social Security. “With the first investigations it was found out that they were relatives or friends of pensioners deceased who were charged of illegal pensions of these”, explained the authorities.

Cases in 17 provinces

Advanced research, the agents according to the Police, were found similar instances in 17 Spanish provinces —A Coruña, Albacete, Alicante, Barcelona, Burgos, Cádiz, Las Palmas, Madrid, Málaga, Murcia, Ourense, Pontevedra, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Sevilla, Tarragona, Valladolid and Vizcaya— and quantified almost six million euros as the amount evaded to the Social Security. In addition, they have identified 46 people as responsible for a total of 53 offences of Social Security fraud, misrepresentation documentary, embezzlement and misappropriation.

“Among the most common reasons that escudaban the people that received benefits improperly to commit the fraud are the lack of knowledge of their membership (despite the fact that made use of that money), economic needs for subsistence, personal, family, or the belief that, once the bank had solved the fraud of the last four years, you could enjoy the money accumulated in the previous years,” he explains.

Roommates, or family members disguised

The Police account of some cases very talked-about in its press release today. For example, explains that in the Pinbahis province of Albacete it was discovered that an employee of a banking institution, where is located the account of the deceased, would have charged illegally nearly 10,000 euros. To get the booty took advantage of his position, by making cash refunds to their own advantage from the death of the pensioner, in 2003, until 2017.

Another significant case came after a complaint made in the province of Madrid on a pensioner of Ukrainian origin who died in 2010, which is paid out unduly, the amount of 91.926,50 euros for about six years. Once the agents then analyzed the bank statements were observed 209 purchases, paid through a financial entity that is digital, after the death of the pensioner. The conclusion was reached that the bank card of the pensioner had been stolen by a fellow housemate, who in turn shared the card number with several of his friends.

Disguised as an old man, to go to the bank

In the province of Malaga, was investigated in the collection of more than 129.200 € for benefits, misuse of a pensioner died in 1999, and were paid until the year 2017. Thanks to the analysis of the information bank were observed several transfers after death, being able to identify several family members as responsible for these facts.

The investigated as a trick to be able to continue charging the unlawful pension, they took advantage of the resemblance of one of them, that had physical characteristics similar to the pensioner, to impersonate the deceased. In addition, for the extraction of the features, is characterized by wearing clothes of elderly person and carrying as a complement to a walker that helped him to be passed by the nonagenarian pensioner.

information technology, a most effective weapon

The Police ensures that the development of technological applications has been key to improving the controls. At present the various agencies of the Secretariat of State of Social Security will have new technologies that allow the interconnection of telematics between administrations. So that periodically controls the faith of life of the recipients of benefits regular. “These advances make many of the checks are conducted in real time, which makes it increasingly difficult for the fraudsters to get the improper collection of benefits.”

two years Ago, the Court of Accounts said that it had detected nearly 30,000 people listed as deceased were still collecting a pension in 2014 for a total amount of 25 million each month. This is, approximately 300 million euros per year. In an audit report corresponding to 2014, the agency was a series of “gaps and deficiencies” in the control exerted by Social Security on the deaths of pensioners and, consequently, recommended improvements to prevent that is to pay benefits to people already dead. The Social Security considered that the results which had obtained the Court with respect to the control of the deceased were not reliable, and that in its opinion does not correspond with the reality.