Billing fraud: BKA registers more cases of economic crime

The number of cases of economic crime in Germany increased significantly in 2024. There was an increase of 847.6 percent in the healthcare system alone, as the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) announced. According to the information, an extensive investigation in Schleswig-Holstein has contributed to this, which dealt with fraud and accounting fraud in the healthcare system.

As the BKA announced in Wiesbaden, a total of 61,358 business offenses were registered by the police in the past year, almost 58 percent more than in the previous year. The records of the records were determined in 39,207 cases due to fraud and in 20,553 cases due to billing fraud in healthcare.

Higher clarification rate

In 2024, the clearance rate was around 89 percent (2023: 85.2 percent). In the case of economic crime, according to BKA, the investigators have the suspect much more often than in the overall crime. For all crimes recorded in police crime statistics, the clearance rate is 58 percent.

The increase in cases in economic crime is significantly due to a significant increase in cases of fraud (plus 116.7 percent) and billing fraud in the healthcare system, the BKA said, referring to the large investigative complex in Schleswig-Holstein.

Fraud with billing for blood tests

According to the State Criminal Police Office in Kiel, it is a procedure with 18,595 cases. “The victims had commissioned special blood tests as a private service from a laboratory in North Friesland,” said a spokeswoman. “They received results and bills, although none of the agreed blood tests have actually been carried out.” There was a damage of more than seven million euros. “A suspect could be determined for these cases, but who died during the ongoing procedure,” added the LKA spokeswoman.

Massive financial damage and gang structures

“In particular, the accounting fraud in the healthcare system is a crime phenomenon with relevance to society as well as high social harm and causes massive financial damage,” explained the BKA. “In addition, gang structures up to organized crime, accompanied by money laundering and tax offenses.”

Economic crime is causing an immense financial damage in Germany. In 2024, the damage amount was EUR 2.76 billion (2023: 2.68 billion euros) according to the BKA. Business offenses are responsible for more than a third of the total damage shown in crime statistics, although their share of the crimes recorded there was only around one percent, the investigators explained.