Landlord Arrested for €800K Fraud Over Fake Utility Charges

The police arrested a 54-year-old landlord from Vught who is suspected of housing fraud with tenants in Den Bosch and the surrounding area. Over a period of ten years, the man is believed to have made approximately €800,000 by inflating service and energy charges, Omroep Brabant reports.

6 months Ago


False Claims and unreceived fees
The suspect has multiple properties that he advertises and rents out by the room. He and his accountant, police say, regularly demanded high advance payments from tenants for service fees and electricity. At the completion of the year, tenants often were refunded a fraction of the unused funds.

When a few tenants questioned the charges, they were provided with doctored statements which purported to have been checked by the accountant.

The scam was said to have stretched back a decade without being detected until 2022, when tenants began reaching out to the energy company directly. Their questions resulted in unearthing bogus invoices.

Cars and Bank Accounts Seized
Police later raided the man's home, where they recovered multiple cars and bank accounts. They also located compromised meter readings to help substantiate the allegations of fraud.

The landlord's accountant has himself been investigated and interrogated by the police.

 

.

Copyright @ 2024 IBRA Digital