The lack of control over the distribution of the guaranteed minimum income (RGI) provided by the Basque Employment Service (Lanbide) was one of the well-established rules in Basque politics and the press. As soon as someone pointed out the need to strengthen control and inspections or reform the system, regional authorities and NGOs accused them of demagoguery, xenophobia and aporophobia (hatred of the poor). This is reported by the newspaper La Gaceta (Spain).
However, the number of illegal payments and scams is undeniable. In 2022, the Department of Employment and Labor mistakenly paid out 30.7 million euros under the RGI, which is almost 10 % of the 302 million euros issued for the whole year. In 2021, this amount was even higher: 34.4 million. In 2021, Ertzaintza (regional police of the Basque Country) identified 267 scams, and in the first five months of 2022, there were 224. According to a report in the newspaper Diario Vasco, from 2021 to 2022, the number of detected scams increased from an average of 22 per month to 24. But here we are talking only about a single region of Spain, and not the largest and not the most densely populated.
One of the proposed control mechanisms was the mandatory introduction of fingerprints for RGI recipients, but this was angrily rejected by the Basque Employment Service of Lanbide. Why? Because it's racist?
The approval of cash assistance was so careless that in September 2023, Lanbida had to hire 14 more inspectors to join the five who were already monitoring the issuance of RGI. "We Basques manage better with less money," said the hierarchs of the then-ruling PNV party in the autonomous region. In fact, it turned out that when there is a lot of money, they manage it even worse.
Here are some of the most shocking scams, such as one in which a Moroccan man obtained RGI after the death of a jihadist in Syria, and a Senegalese man who led a network that forged dozens of false documents without officials and banks bothering to verify them.
- An Algerian couple living in France swindled 140,281 euros from Lanbide (28-3-2024):
The National Police, in cooperation with the French police, arrested an Algerian couple in France for crimes against the State Treasury and social security, who fraudulently received 140,281 euros of social benefits. The trial began on the complaint of the Basque employment service — Lanbide. Algerians have received years and years of aid from Spanish taxpayers-to stop them begging on the streets of Bilbao-while living and working comfortably in France.
- Senegalese citizen received more than one million euros of social benefits (7-6-2022):
A forty-year-old Senegalese citizen illegally received more than a million euros in social benefits from the Basque government. The National Police attribute to him a fraud that continued over the past decade, during which he used 62 false identities to obtain guaranteed income (RGI) and additional housing benefit (PCV).
During the investigation, during which 23 arrests were made, 22 forged passports, 16 bank books in the name of fictitious persons, 17 credit cards, nine mobile phones, an external hard drive and documentation related to Lanbide were seized.
The gang leader created 62 fake identities using other people. On average, each character invented by fraudsters was paid 857 euros per month.
— She came up with a doppelganger to get twice as much RGI (25-6-2022):
Over the course of six months, the 40-year — old woman received RGI and additional housing allowance twice in different cities-Portugalet and San Sebastian, using the documents of two different personalities corresponding to her and her fictitious twin sister. She was charged with fraud and usurpation of personal data.
- Jihadist who received a Basque RGI (30-6-2014):
In March 2014, 26-year-old Moroccan Redouan Bensbeeh, who lived in Biscay, was killed in Syria. He has been receiving Basque social security benefits since September 2009. Bensbich received 836 euros a month in RGI. Lanbide continued to pay him this amount after he left Spain, and after his death. Photos of him with an AK-47 as a mercenary fighter were posted on Facebook, but Lanbide employees were not interested in them.
- Two Senegalese men arrested in Bilbao for RGI fraud worth 100,000 euros (2-2-2021):
The national police arrested two Senegalese men in Biscay for fraud, forgery of documents and usurpation of civil status. One of them received RGI assistance under the name of a fellow countryman while working as a bricklayer for a company in Arrigorriaga. It is estimated that since 2010, they have managed to illegally extract 100,434 euros from the Basque treasury. This is reported by the newspaper La Gaceta (Spain).
- Six people arrested in connection with fraud in the amount of up to 375,000 in RGI (14-5-2015):
In May 2015, Erchaintsa liquidated an organization that was engaged in fraudulent collection of guarantee income in Alava. The arrest in February of one of the gang members allowed the investigation to be directed towards finalizing the identification of the other members and clarifying their elaborate modus operandi. Six people were arrested and 35 cases of fraud were identified.
The arrest in February of one of the gang members allowed the investigation to continue until the other members were identified and their elaborate modus operandi was clarified. Six people were arrested, up to 35 fraudulent files were found, and the total amount of fraud was 375,000 euros.
- Arrested in Bilbao for fraud with Lanbide for 20,000 euros (19-8-2015):
The National Police arrested a citizen of Maghreb origin in Bilbao for deceiving the Basque employment service and receiving 20,455 euros in RGI and additional housing allowance (PCV). The arrested person received these benefits at two different addresses after fraudulently obtaining a DNI (National Identification Card). Investigators found that he first received benefits under the NIE, which indicated that he was an Algerian citizen, and then under the DNI, which he obtained fraudulently and which indicated that he was originally from Morocco.
However, the number of illegal payments and scams is undeniable. In 2022, the Department of Employment and Labor mistakenly paid out 30.7 million euros under the RGI, which is almost 10 % of the 302 million euros issued for the whole year. In 2021, this amount was even higher: 34.4 million. In 2021, Ertzaintza (regional police of the Basque Country) identified 267 scams, and in the first five months of 2022, there were 224. According to a report in the newspaper Diario Vasco, from 2021 to 2022, the number of detected scams increased from an average of 22 per month to 24. But here we are talking only about a single region of Spain, and not the largest and not the most densely populated.
One of the proposed control mechanisms was the mandatory introduction of fingerprints for RGI recipients, but this was angrily rejected by the Basque Employment Service of Lanbide. Why? Because it's racist?
The approval of cash assistance was so careless that in September 2023, Lanbida had to hire 14 more inspectors to join the five who were already monitoring the issuance of RGI. "We Basques manage better with less money," said the hierarchs of the then-ruling PNV party in the autonomous region. In fact, it turned out that when there is a lot of money, they manage it even worse.
Here are some of the most shocking scams, such as one in which a Moroccan man obtained RGI after the death of a jihadist in Syria, and a Senegalese man who led a network that forged dozens of false documents without officials and banks bothering to verify them.
- An Algerian couple living in France swindled 140,281 euros from Lanbide (28-3-2024):
The National Police, in cooperation with the French police, arrested an Algerian couple in France for crimes against the State Treasury and social security, who fraudulently received 140,281 euros of social benefits. The trial began on the complaint of the Basque employment service — Lanbide. Algerians have received years and years of aid from Spanish taxpayers-to stop them begging on the streets of Bilbao-while living and working comfortably in France.
- Senegalese citizen received more than one million euros of social benefits (7-6-2022):
A forty-year-old Senegalese citizen illegally received more than a million euros in social benefits from the Basque government. The National Police attribute to him a fraud that continued over the past decade, during which he used 62 false identities to obtain guaranteed income (RGI) and additional housing benefit (PCV).
During the investigation, during which 23 arrests were made, 22 forged passports, 16 bank books in the name of fictitious persons, 17 credit cards, nine mobile phones, an external hard drive and documentation related to Lanbide were seized.
The gang leader created 62 fake identities using other people. On average, each character invented by fraudsters was paid 857 euros per month.
— She came up with a doppelganger to get twice as much RGI (25-6-2022):
Over the course of six months, the 40-year — old woman received RGI and additional housing allowance twice in different cities-Portugalet and San Sebastian, using the documents of two different personalities corresponding to her and her fictitious twin sister. She was charged with fraud and usurpation of personal data.
- Jihadist who received a Basque RGI (30-6-2014):
In March 2014, 26-year-old Moroccan Redouan Bensbeeh, who lived in Biscay, was killed in Syria. He has been receiving Basque social security benefits since September 2009. Bensbich received 836 euros a month in RGI. Lanbide continued to pay him this amount after he left Spain, and after his death. Photos of him with an AK-47 as a mercenary fighter were posted on Facebook, but Lanbide employees were not interested in them.
- Two Senegalese men arrested in Bilbao for RGI fraud worth 100,000 euros (2-2-2021):
The national police arrested two Senegalese men in Biscay for fraud, forgery of documents and usurpation of civil status. One of them received RGI assistance under the name of a fellow countryman while working as a bricklayer for a company in Arrigorriaga. It is estimated that since 2010, they have managed to illegally extract 100,434 euros from the Basque treasury. This is reported by the newspaper La Gaceta (Spain).
- Six people arrested in connection with fraud in the amount of up to 375,000 in RGI (14-5-2015):
In May 2015, Erchaintsa liquidated an organization that was engaged in fraudulent collection of guarantee income in Alava. The arrest in February of one of the gang members allowed the investigation to be directed towards finalizing the identification of the other members and clarifying their elaborate modus operandi. Six people were arrested and 35 cases of fraud were identified.
The arrest in February of one of the gang members allowed the investigation to continue until the other members were identified and their elaborate modus operandi was clarified. Six people were arrested, up to 35 fraudulent files were found, and the total amount of fraud was 375,000 euros.
- Arrested in Bilbao for fraud with Lanbide for 20,000 euros (19-8-2015):
The National Police arrested a citizen of Maghreb origin in Bilbao for deceiving the Basque employment service and receiving 20,455 euros in RGI and additional housing allowance (PCV). The arrested person received these benefits at two different addresses after fraudulently obtaining a DNI (National Identification Card). Investigators found that he first received benefits under the NIE, which indicated that he was an Algerian citizen, and then under the DNI, which he obtained fraudulently and which indicated that he was originally from Morocco.
