Fraud Offences in Frankfurt | Bank Account Opening Fraud

A frequent problem with account-opening fraud is the fact that in some European countries (for example Poland) it is possible to open online accounts without presenting identity documents. Therefore it is almost impossible for law enforcement to apprehend the perpetrators. In many cases the affected companies and banks then seek advice and assistance from the investigators of Kurtz Corporate Investigation Services Frankfurt. You can reach our private investigators on +49 69 1201 8431.

Weak Point: Postident

The press office of Frankfurt Police reports the following case, in which the Frankfurt head office of the bank concerned must be regarded as the injured party on behalf of the affected branches:

“The collective complaint by a financial institution led in August 2014 to extensive criminal investigations on suspicion of account-opening fraud. The bank noticed that a number of accounts had been opened using clearly false personal details. It was particularly striking that the identification of customers, which for online banks is carried out using the so-called POSTIDENT procedure, took place at a particular post office in a small community in southern Hesse. The investigation currently covers the suspicion of almost 50 fraudulently opened accounts. The accounts were used for various fraudulent acts, including cash withdrawals at ATMs and fraudulent credit-card transactions on the internet. A 33-year-old German national has been identified as a suspect. Investigations are ongoing.”