Investigations into Obtaining Services Illegally

Obtaining services illegally is a multifaceted type of offence with which companies, museums, parks and many other institutions are increasingly confronted. Personalised and automated entry controls do not present insurmountable obstacles to offenders: in the crush of a crowd one slips past the entrance control; ticket machines at turnstiles are ignored and some display surprising agility when climbing over them. As a rule, our commercial detectives from Duisburg do not handle such cases themselves — this is typically the responsibility of security services and the police. Yet the illicit obtaining of services often occurs in combination with other offences, in the clarification of which we can assist, for example the falsification of the (now sadly discontinued) Duisburg pass or the Social Ticket for the purpose of free travel or reduced admission to events (forgery of documents, possibly social welfare fraud).

The investigation of most variants of the offence of obtaining services by deception forms part of the portfolio of our Duisburg detective agency. For companies, institutions and authorities we investigate in our customary professional and discreet manner: +49 203 3196 0052.

Wanting Without Paying?

In 2016 crime figures in Duisburg rose sharply for many offences and frequently bucked the NRW trend — a very worrying development. There were noticeably more cases of robbery/extortion (plus 9.8 per cent), pickpocketing (24 per cent) and bicycle theft (18.9 per cent), and, above all, more homicide offences (87.5 per cent) and assaults (35 per cent). In addition, cases of illicit use of services (primarily as control offences) account for a significant share of fraud crime.

Under the heading "obtaining services illicitly" one legally understands, alongside the well-known fare-dodging to the detriment of a transport company, other abusive acts against services that serve public purposes. Outside legal jargon, the general notion is the utilisation of services without the intention to pay for them properly. If your company has been harmed or if you suspect such conduct, place your trust in our qualified investigators. Kurtz Business Detective Duisburg provides you with court-admissible evidence: kontakt@kurtz-detektei-duisburg.de.

Numerous Overlaps with Other Offences

The offence of obtaining services by deception under § 265a StGB is a misdemeanour due to the possible penalty (a fine or a maximum of one year’s imprisonment). It must be clearly distinguished from other offences. For example, if goods are taken from a drinks machine by manipulating it, this is not obtaining services illicitly but theft; if a smart card for a pay-TV subscription is forged or a receiver hacked to receive television channels without payment, this is computer fraud.

Is your company or institution affected by illicit obtaining of services? Then contact without obligation our IHK-certified detectives for Oberhausen, Ratingen and the whole of NRW. In addition to providing court-admissible investigative work after offences have occurred, our security experts also support you preventively by analysing your preventive measures. We identify security gaps and help you optimise your protection standards. We will be pleased to explain the case-specific options. Describe your problem in an email via our contact form or call us on +49 203 3196 0052.