Cross-Border Task Force Uncovers Sham Residences and Welfare Fraud in Germany
A new cross-border task force has launched to tackle organised crime and welfare fraud in North Rhine-Westphalia. The GeKo Rhein Wupper initiative, based in Wuppertal, held its first major operation in Langenfeld last week. Authorities uncovered sham residences, illegal housing schemes, and potential benefit fraud during coordinated raids.
The initiative officially began in late February 2026 after receiving funding to strengthen cooperation between cities. Wuppertal, Leverkusen, Solingen, Remscheid, and Langenfeld joined forces to combat issues like clan crime, money laundering, and social welfare abuse. Their first joint action took place on March 4, 2026, as part of a statewide crackdown.
A team of 19 officials raided properties in Langenfeld, exposing 12 sham residences in Reusrath linked to Eastern European EU citizens. Investigators also found evidence of false addresses, leading to over 100 deregistration procedures. At another property in Richrath, a registration violation resulted in an official deregistration.
Suspicious cases included a fictitious paternity claim, illegal construction work, and unauthorised changes to property use. One address was flagged for potentially using sham registrations to bypass immigration rules. Meanwhile, seven individuals remain under scrutiny for possible undeclared work.
The operation also revealed breaches of the Housing Strengthening Act. Authorities are now preparing to recover improperly claimed benefits from job centres.
The GeKo Rhein Wupper task force aims to improve real-time data sharing and preventive measures across municipal borders. Following the Langenfeld raids, further investigations into fraudulent registrations, illegal housing, and welfare abuse are expected. Job centres have begun procedures to reclaim funds linked to the uncovered cases.
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