Thanks to an anonymous tip, Social Services’ benefit crime team tracked the man down. After some detective work, the investigators were able to reveal that the Malmö resident, a man in his 60s, had sold a house and bought an apartment in Thailand. In addition, the man had not reported income from when he had worked as a craftsman, mainly abroad. This at the same time as he received a total of SEK 123,926 in social benefits, Sydsvenskan reports. Vacation pictures in social media On social media, he showed off an apparently luxurious existence with sun trips, swimming, booze and women. The man was encouraged in the comments by, among others, friends and a high-ranking Malmö politician. “Di rige di kan” and “Fabror Gottis”, the Malmö politician wrote, among other things. He has also made several trips to Germany to buy large quantities of beer, cider, wine and spirits. Something he shared on social media. The court’s assessment After the man was caught, the social administration’s benefit crime team in Malmö demanded back the entire sum that the man had been paid. The administrative court first rejected the city of Malmö’s demand for repayment of the sum that Malmö residents received in grants. But the next instance, the Court of Appeal, saw the matter differently. The man has claimed that his pictures from a glam party life in the sun were only posted for fun, and the administrative court ruled that holiday pictures on social media do not count as evidence. The Court of Appeal, on the other hand, rejects the man’s explanation and notes that he did not provide an explanation and submit evidence to support the claim. Decisive judgment The key issue in the courts has been how to look at the probative value of pictures and comments posted on social media. The verdict can definitely become indicative and affect cases where we see the same pattern, says Kenneth Sandgren, who leads the social service’s team against benefit violations, to Sydsvenskan. Malmö residents must now pay back the entire sum of SEK 123,926. If he does not do so, the city of Malmö can push the case on to debt collection and the Kronofogden. – It is an important clarification for us. The judgment can definitely become indicative and affect cases where we see the same pattern. If, as in this case, you claim that you were only joking, then you should also be able to prove it, says Kenneth Sandgren.
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