Criminals increasingly working in healthcare sector with fake diplomas; Police concerned

Criminals like drug dealers and ATM robbers are working in the healthcare sector with fake diplomas “on a large scale,” RTL Nieuws reports based on an internal report by the Midden Nederland police. According to the police, criminals earn large amounts while, in the best-case scenario, providing insufficient care to vulnerable patients.

“These are serious criminals who are at the bedside of the most vulnerable in society and perform risky acts without training,” the police said in the report. According to the police, the criminals buy fake diplomas and work experience certificates online. Then they sign up at dodgy employment agencies that supply staff to care institutions. These employment agencies often belong to underworld figures. “Serious criminals, such as international drug traffickers, also appear to have fraudulent employment agencies in their name.”

The police said that the criminals deliberately work in healthcare institutions for very vulnerable people - people with dementia or people with severe mental disabilities. “Because these clients are often unable to report abuses, it remains hidden (for longer) that the ‘care worker’ does not have the knowledge and skills to provide care.”

By billing as many hours as they want, criminals make a fortune from their side jobs in healthcare. “Criminal freelancers who earn 12,000 euros per month are the rule rather than the exception,” the report states, according to the broadcaster.

The police also have indications that criminals are abusing and criminally exploiting the people in their care. “There is also information that young people who are assigned to noble-sounding, but in reality fraudulent foundations in the healthcare domain, are being used for criminal activities such as drug dealing, removing cocaine from the ports, and carrying out violent orders.”

The report speaks of an “alarming increase” in criminals active in healthcare.“It is very lucrative and the chance of being caught is small. This creates an unfortunate combination that almost asks for abuse and, unfortunately, this is also seen on a large scale in practice,” the police said.

This problem cannot be solved by the police alone and requires intervention from the government and involved healthcare institutions, the police said. “System errors must be corrected and barriers must be erected together to put a stop to undermining in the healthcare sector and to undo the abuses that have arisen.