Fictitious residence in Graz: Bosnian woman received €31,000 in unemployment benefits over four years
A 64-year-old Bosnian woman unlawfully received unemployment benefits in Austria for years. A mother and daughter were each sentenced to six months' conditional imprisonment for serious fraud.
Fictitious residence in Graz: Mother and daughter convicted of unemployment fraud
For more than four years, a 64-year-old Bosnian woman is alleged to have received unemployment benefits from the Austrian labour office (AMS) despite living predominantly in Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to reports, a fictitious residence in Graz made this possible. As reported by 5min.at, investigations by Task Force SOLBE determined that over €31,000 was disbursed unlawfully. The AMS Graz West and surrounding area office was responsible.
The 64-year-old and her 29-year-old daughter had to answer for their actions in court. The daughter allegedly actively supported her mother: she completed applications, accompanied her to AMS appointments and interpreted for her — even though, according to the court, she knew that her mother's centre of life was not in Austria. Although the 64-year-old had a room in her daughter's apartment in Graz, she spent most of her time in Bosnia. Both women pleaded guilty.
€18,000 has already been repaid. The AMS was unable to fully recover the remaining €13,000 because, under law, only a period of three years can be claimed. The court therefore declared this amount forfeited — the women must pay it to the Republic of Austria. Additionally, mother and daughter were each sentenced to six months' conditional imprisonment for serious fraud. Both had previously had no criminal record.
This case is not an isolated one. Figures cited by Kleine Zeitung show a clear trend: in 2016, 472 reports of social security fraud were recorded nationwide in Austria, while in 2025 there were already 6,062 cases. Since the establishment of Task Force SOLBE in 2018, total damage of approximately €158 million has been uncovered — in the previous year alone it amounted to €23 million. In 2025, 6,191 suspects were recorded. According to the Interior Ministry, 74.5 per cent of them did not hold Austrian citizenship, whilst 25.5 per cent were Austrian residents.
Source: Google News AT — Crime (de)