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North Rhine-Westphalia halts coronavirus aid payments over fake websites

The German state of North Rhine-Westphalia on Thursday halted emergency payments for freelancers and small businesses hit by the coronavirus crisis after discovering fraudsters were using "fake websites" to trick applicants.

Published: 9 April 2020 11:14 CEST

North Rhine-Westphalia halts coronavirus aid payments over fake websites

A shop in Berlin displaying a closed sign. Many businesses are affected by the corona crisis. Photo: DPA

The regional economy ministry of Germany's most populous state, in the west of the country, said it had filed a fraud complaint with police following “indications of fake websites that appear prominently in search results”.

The websites mimic the official state site where small business owners can apply for cash handouts between €9,000 and €15,000 after entering personal details including their name, address and tax and bank account numbers.

The cash is aimed at helping people through the current coronavirus pandemic as public life has almost slammed to a halt.

According to early investigations by the police's cyber crime unit, fraudsters have been using the spoof application forms to get hold of data “presumably for criminal purposes”, the ministry said in a statement.

It said it had agreed with police to “stop the payouts for freelancers and small businesses for the time being” while the investigation continues.

But it stressed that small business owners in North Rhine-Westphalia could still apply for aid, taking care to use only the official website: soforthilfe-corona.nrw.de

“We ask those applicants who are currently waiting for their money transfer for understanding and patience,” the ministry added.

The cash handout, which is available nationwide, is part of a massive rescue package by the German government aimed at shielding companies and workers from the fallout of the pandemic.

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Like other countries, Germany has closed schools and businesses and confined millions of citizens to their homes in a bid to slow the outbreak.

The measures are battering Europe's top economy, which experts believe will shrink by around five percent this year.

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Could there be a new wave of Covid-19 in Germany this autumn?

More people donning face masks in supermarkets, friends cancelling plans last minute due to getting sick with Covid-19. We might have seen some of those familiar reminders recently that the coronavirus is still around, but could there really be a resurgence of the virus like we experienced during the pandemic years?

According to virologists, the answer seems to be ‘maybe’: since July, the number of people newly infected with Covid-19 has been slowly rising from a very low level.

According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), nine people per 100,000 inhabitants became newly infected in Germany last week. A year ago, there were only around 270 reported cases.

Various Corona variants are currently on the loose in the country. According to the RKI, the EG.5 (also called Eris) and XBB.1.16 lines were each detected in the week ending September 3rd with a share of just under 23 percent.

The highly mutated variant BA.2.86 (Pirola), which is currently under observation by the World Health Organisation (WHO), also arrived in the country this week, according to RKI.

High number of unreported case

The RKI epidemiologists also warned about a high number of unreported cases since hardly any testing is done. They pointed out that almost half of all registered sewage treatment plants report an increasing viral load in wastewater tests.

The number of hospital admissions has also increased slightly, but are still a far cry from the occupation rate amid the pandemic. Last week it was two per 100,000 inhabitants. In the intensive care units, only 1.2 percent of all beds are occupied by Covid-19 patients.

Still, a good three-quarters (76.4 percent) of people in Germany have been vaccinated at least twice and thus have basic immunity, reported RKI.

Since Monday, doctors’ offices have been vaccinating with the adapted vaccine from Biontech/Pfizer, available to anyone over 12 years old, with a vaccine for small children set to be released the following week and one for those between 5 and 11 to come out October 2nd.

But Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has so far only recommended that people over 60 and those with pre-existing conditions get vaccinated.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: Who should get a Covid jab this autumn in Germany?

“The pandemic is over, the virus remains,” he said. “We cannot predict the course of coming waves of corona, but it is clear that older people and people with pre-existing conditions remain at higher risk of becoming severely ill from Covid-19”

The RKI also recommended that people with a cold voluntarily wear a mask. Anyone exhibiting cough, cold, sore throat or other symptoms of a respiratory illness should voluntarily stay at home for three to five days and take regular corona self-tests.

However, further measures such as contact restrictions are not necessary, he said.

One of many diseases

As of this autumn, Covid-19 could be one of many respiratory diseases. As with influenza, there are no longer absolute infection figures for coronavirus.

Saarbrücken pharmacist Thorsten Lehr told German broadcaster ZDF that self-protection through vaccinations, wearing a mask and getting tested when symptoms appear are prerequisites for surviving the Covid autumn well.

Only a new, more aggressive mutation could completely turn the game around, he added.

On April 7th of this year, Germany removed the last of its over two-year long coronavirus restrictions, including mask-wearing in some public places.

READ ALSO: German doctors recommend Covid-19 self-tests amid new variant

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