Austrian police arrest an unemployed man in a fraud case involving 460,000 euros.
A 54-year-old man from Bosnia has been arrested in Austria on charges of large-scale commercial fraud, according to the Styria State Police Directorate. According to the allegations, [name in Arabic] has been advertising low-priced offers for the installation of windows, doors, fences, and similar construction services on social media since April 2022, managing to deceive 31 clients and seize over 400,000 euros. In many cases, the work was never completed at all, or was done poorly, rendering it unusable.
The police say that the suspect, who has a previous criminal record, used the name of a company based in Bosnia to appear legitimate. The victims signed contracts and paid cash amounts in hopes of receiving the agreed-upon services. However, throughout his entire fraudulent activity, the man was registered with the Austrian labor market service (Arbeitsmarktservice - AMS) as unable to work.
Investigators claim that he also illegally obtained more than 60,000 euros in unemployment benefits by providing false information to AMS, bringing the total amount he is accused of embezzling to nearly 460,000 euros.
The Leibnitz police arrested him in early March 2025, and he was transferred to the Graz-Jakomini correctional facility. After months of investigations and interviews with several victims, the police closed the case file and referred it to the public prosecutor's office.
The authorities are treating the case as a serious fraud operation, involving the exploitation of individuals and the abuse of the social welfare system in Austria. The man now faces the prospect of trial and a long prison sentence if convicted.