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Subscribe to RSSATHENS -- A former police officer who invented 19 fictional offspring to claim benefits for what would have been the largest family in Greece has been arrested for fraud, police said.
The divorced man, who has no children of his own, quit his 1,000-euro-a-month ($1,300) job in 2001 and has been living solely on benefits ever since, police said Thursday.
Using photographs of children he found online, the 54-year-old forged birth certificates and other documents needed to claim benefits for at least one child a year since 1996.
Police estimate he made at least 150,000 euros in claims over 15 years, but the actual amount is probably much higher.
Authorities only realized something was amiss when they noticed his was the only Greek family with that many children, police said. The average Greek family usually has two or three children.
"We have never seen (a scam) like this before," said a police official who declined to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the press.
The former police officer, who under Greek law cannot be named, was arrested Wednesday as he was about to collect 8,000 euros in benefits from an Athens branch of Greece's employment agency OAED. He was taken to the prosecutor's office Thursday.
Widespread fraud, a generous welfare state and a notoriously inefficient public sector have been blamed as root causes of Greece's financial trouble that threatens to break apart the euro zone.
A team of tax investigators recently discovered that a seemingly humble Greek farmer on the island of Thasos, who owned a red Ferrari and a Porsche, was in fact into loan sharking.
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That's nothing compared to the scam a bunch of lawyers and real estate developers cooked up in Las Vegas. I understand the Greek situation has a big bearing on the Euro Zone and all, but maybe we should focus our attention on the problems in our own back yard for a while.
if you want to focus on the US maybe you shouldn't be in the WORLD NEWS section.
I'm not talking about the press, idiot. I'm talking about our society at large and the fact that people like you probably don't even know about the real estate scam in Las Vegas. (Do you?) But, you're feeling mighty smart because you know that some schmuck in Greece pulled off a little public welfare scam? Great! Good for you. Take the rest of the day off. Your work as a productive citizen is done. Thanks for your contribution to society.
And, really, hater, you consider this world news? One guy in Greece ripping off his local government? That's world news to you? LOL.
Widespread fraud, a generous welfare state and a notoriously inefficient public sector have been blamed as root causes of America's financial trouble that threatens to break apart the United States.
well, it's not US news. where would you put it, tech and science?
Humph, I found it in the Top Stories section. Though i do like tech and science.
We should be focusing on issues at home and not small crimes on another continent. Our politics also need a lot of our attention. For the next seveal months we would do ourselves a great service to stop looking at bias news (fox, msnbc) and check out some of the non-partisan Facts about the politicians we are about to elect. R and D need to look at both sides and vote for the best NEW politicians (not the incumbent).
wait, why am I reading this article anyway? I'm going back over to political fact checking web sites.
The world news section seems like a pretty dumb place for that comment miker. Why would anyone come read the world news to say that people in the US need to focus on their own problems? Doesn't look like you have any room to call anyone else an idiot. You're obviously wrong on this one
Wow, non sequitur much?
@hater: Honestly? If I were the editor? I don't think I'd have run the story at all. . .
Significantly, Mike, the headline doesn't say where this happened. Nor did the link I followed to this non-story. So, when I linked to the story from my news homepage I linked to it expecting a story about an American cop committing welfare fraud in the U.S. I didn't, as you suggest, "come read the world news." Which is sort of the basis of my angst about this article.
Get down to it, and you could easily argue that the U.S. is part of "the world," so anything that happens here is "world news." But, not every little crime is really newsworthy, is it, Mike? No matter where it happens. Just because you have a "world news" header to fill doesn't make everything you post there "world news." But, if it makes you feel more worldly and educated to read non-news stories from other countries, knock yourself out. I'm sure your co-workers will be very impressed when you mention this story at the water cooler.
It's common knowledge for anyone that regularly reads this news site that all 'top stories' are from a variety of news sections, including world news. By clicking on a top news stories you shouldn't be assuming the story is based in the US unless otherwise indicated by the headline. It's your own fault for assuming anything at all, and whether you came to read the world news deliberately or by accident, you did it all the same. Heck, you went a step further by not only reading world news but commenting, arguing, and accusing others of being idiots when it's obvious the only person wrong is yourself! YES...you ARE reading world news.
As for the bit about the U.S. being part of the world news, save that for your next argument with a 12 year old. Obviously the world news section is reserved for articles including other parts of the world. Is it newsworthy? Sure, more newsworthy than another article I read this morning about a runaway cow being found after months on the lam, yet this is where you decided to have a rant about whats newsworthy and what isn't.
Hey, like I said, Mike, if you feel empowered and enlightened by this article, by all means, go blow your smoke to your buddies. I'm sure they'll all be very impressed with the worldly knowledge you've gleaned from this earth shaking news story about an ex-cop in Greece. Really. In fact, be sure and mention that you read this on your application to the Diplomatic Corps. Maybe they'll make you the Ambassador to Greece based on your firm grip on world news!
Get a grip, guy. Pretty clear that you're a helluva lot more intent on ranting than I am. I just mentioned that I think this is sort of an irrelevant story, even if you read it in the context of international events. You and hater-baiter are the ones who apparently felt that my opinion was worthy of all the attention.
I find a couple of comforting points in this article. The first being that our social welfare programs aren't the only ones being scammed. The second point is that there are other societies that have a populace that is willing to forgo working for their living if the government will provide for them. Somehow when my parents talked about working smarter rather than harder, this isn't what they were referring to.
The bootom line is that there will always be a group of people willing to try to abuse any system. We may have the lion's share but certainly not a corner on the practice.
Miker-3057253 banned, multiple accounts - SameolMike spawned from this suspension, also banned.
Greed will getchya every time....
NOT every time.
Really?
Yup every time.
Well maybe not every time, but it got him this time.... But isn't that the hallmark of most criminals? Greed?
They think Greece has welfare fraud, they should come to America.
I take that back, it's not really "fraud" here, it's the asinine laws passed by an asinine Congress that allows free-loading citizens and illegals to milk the Social Service system dry.... thereby rendering it impotent for the truly needy.
Nope. Our problem is fraud, too. Plain and simple. The laws are not @sinine, only those who abuse them. Good try, though.
Yes, they are asinine when illegals can obtain social services, when perfectly healthy citizens can start collecting free apartment, food cards, cell phones w/minutes added every month, health care, a check for power bills monthly, and live this way year after year making a career of it.
It is, indeed, asinine.
Since when did asinine become a curse word?
Since MSNBC and other websites that allow comments decided to automate their Curse Word Detection function! (Although I've frequently gotten away with using "ass" just like that. . . )
Sounds like here.
Who do you think have been mentoring the Greeks?
With the interest rates banks charge these days, how can anybody be accused of "loan sharking"?
I see the poor and impoverished all the time. Wish I was poor so I could have anew car with 20" rims and buy steak for every meal.
We need to clean the scammers out of the system so the people who truly need assistanceassitance cannot only get it, but receive assistance at a level that can give them a better life.
+1
"Widespread fraud, a generous welfare state and a notoriously inefficient public sector have been blamed as root causes of Greece's financial trouble
Looks like we are not the only ones with this problem.
I agree with you softdude. Great point!!!
At our rate of descent, it will only get worse.
Invariably most of the comments here will say something about how this article sounds just like America. That's a disingenuous and ignorant assertion. Corruption, fraud, and nepotism in many parts of the world (including Greece, but most often in third-world countries) are significantly worse than what we see in America, which is thankfully a land of laws, checks, and balances. Of course there are isolated cases of fraud here, but they are relatively rare. They just seem common because media and people love to talk about "dirty politicians" and the "welfare state."
There must be a very fine line in your definition of "isolated" versus everybody else's definition of "rampant".
What was once envisioned as a form of "temporary assistance" for a few has become a way of life for many. When it welfare has become an acceptable standard of living the welfare benefits are too generous.
Make him pay child support for the next 18 years on 19 kids.
HA! What a GREAT idea Banaschar!!!! The best posting so far!
Americans pull off welfare scams all the time.
You mean illegals pull of welfare scams all the time.
Do it like China, nobody there would dare to claim 19 kids.
What about the non-existent employees and work defense contractors claim on charge numbers billed to the American taxpayers? The 1% (Corporate Media) protecting the 1% (Elitist).
Cheating the System
The welfare system relies on the honor system, and the fact is that people are taking advantage of the lack of oversight. In September 2008, The New York TImes reported that a welfare recipient named Vlastimir Matorkik made $200,000 a year at his job as a banquet server, yet he used false pretenses to apply for Medicaid benefits. Simply put, there are so many applicants and not enough government workers to thoroughly research and evaluate every request.
Employees Unable to Devote Sufficient Time
The problem of overworked welfare employees creates deeper problems than just mistakenly allocating funds to those cheating the system. Caseworkers are tasked with helping welfare recipients rise above poverty and become self-sufficient. This requires research for educational and job opportunities, which inevitably leads to lengthy conversations with welfare recipients. Workers do not have the time required to foster independence from the welfare system, and some recipients do not have the motivation to make the changes without guidance or support.
I am surprised they didn't do more checking, like asking for school records, maybe visiting his home to see these "19" children...
The words, "Public Official & Fraud" go hand-in-hand. Hardly surprised.
All tax payers are required to furnish proof of deducions. Why shouldn't welfare receivers mail in grocery receipts with upc code to show wher the money is spent and on what. It galls me to see an ebt card used to buy chips and soda.