The Fair Competition Reporting Centre received 7,873 reports last year, marking a 9% increase compared to the previous year’s total of 7,231, according to Minister of Social Fraud Prevention Rob Beenders.
The centre, an online platform, allows individuals to report workplace misconduct such as social fraud. Most reports submitted last year concerned undeclared work and illegal labour practices (4,900), violations of wage and labour laws (416), and tax evasion (399). Of the total reports received, 5,734 were deemed valid—an increase of 8% compared to the prior year.
Beenders welcomed the upward trend in public engagement, noting that more reports help inspection services act swiftly and precisely. He also highlighted new challenges revealed through reports, such as benefit fraud among influencers and entertainers. These cases include individuals earning money through social media platforms like TikTok or OnlyFans while simultaneously receiving government benefits.
The minister pointed out that the nature of fraud has evolved, with more cases occurring online using increasingly sophisticated methods. Offenders often employ aliases and provide minimal contact information, such as only an email address or phone number, which complicates investigations.
Last year also saw 184 reports of cross-border fraud, including 157 cases related to social dumping.
The federal government has prioritised combating social fraud, with the reporting centre being a key aspect of this effort. In addition to processing reports, authorities conducted operations to intensify social fraud prevention. In 2022, social inspection services concluded 147,863 investigations, carried out 15,337 joint inspections, and recovered €414 million.
