Criminals Attempt to Fraudulently Obtain Benefits from Employment Agency

Recent reports indicate that clients of the Federal Employment Agency have become targets of criminal activities aimed at unlawfully acquiring benefits. The perpetrators reportedly manipulated account numbers in an effort to divert payments intended for these clients.

As a precautionary measure, the Federal Employment Agency has temporarily suspended the online functionality that allows users to submit applications for financial assistance, including unemployment benefits. This decision follows an incident where unauthorized changes to account information were detected on the personal devices of several clients. A spokesperson from the agency confirmed that they had to disable the option to enter or modify IBAN account numbers and address details in their online forms to safeguard both the agency and its clients against further attacks.

Preliminary investigations revealed that a three-digit number of clients were affected by these unauthorized modifications. The agency's IT department discovered these changes while monitoring client profiles, prompting them to file a criminal complaint. Additionally, the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and the Federal Office for Information Security have been informed of the situation. Fortunately, early findings suggest that no payments were processed to the altered account numbers.

The Federal Employment Agency is currently working diligently to resolve the issue and restore normal operations. The agency urges clients to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity related to their accounts. They emphasize the importance of safeguarding personal information and using secure methods to access online services.