Completed joint projects:

ALPhA: Impact of European e-commerce liberalisation on pharmaceutical crime

Funding codes  13N13061 to 13N13065

Worldwide, 50% of the medicines purchased on the internet are fake, representing a serious threat to public health. The partners on the ALPhA research project analysed the reported and unreported crime in this area and compared national and European criminal law and criminal proceedings law to formulate new approaches to tackling pharmaceutical crime. To facilitate more effective prosecution, the research partners also analysed and compared online fraud cases in the European Union to determine where it was a criminal offence, who was responsible for law enforcement and what legal assistance was provided. A software package with which to conduct automatic searches for illegal offers on the internet was developed to support this work. It is intended to assist the investigative authorities in their work.  

ALPhA project outline (only available in German)

     

BOB: Protection against fraud in online banking

Funding codes  13N13250 to 13N13254

Online banking is convenient and enables customers to manage their day-to-day banking outside of bank opening hours. However, abuse of the system can quickly cause financial loss. The BOB project was intended to devise strategies for making online banking safer. The team was carrying out research on unreported fraudulent use of online banking systems, developing preventive measures and taking steps to facilitate fraud detection. The result would be a software system with which banks can detect attacks on their online and mobile banking systems at an early stage. The user interfaces would be redesigned to make customers more aware of and help them identify security-critical situations.

BOB project outline (only available in German)

   

EWV: Detection of economic crime and insurance fraud

Funding codes  13N13500 - 13N13504

Every year, non-life and accident insurance fraud costs the German economy around four billion euros. New technologies, in the area of image processing, for example, mean that more and more documents or purported evidence of damage or loss can be forged. The project’s goal was to systematically expose methods used in wide-scale insurance fraud. To this end, the team will draw up prevention measures and assess them on the basis of legal and psychological aspects. This interdisciplinary collaboration will create an integrated approach to the analysis, prevention and detection of insurance fraud cases.

EWV project outline (only available in German)

  

PKG: Prevention of capital market crimes and money-laundering risks

Funding code  13N13066

Money laundering causes annual losses of around 50 billion euros in Germany as well as damaging the public’s faith in banks. The aim of the PKG project was to explore effective means of tackling money laundering, not least to bolster people’s faith in the banking and economic system. To this end, the project sought to examine the possibilities offered by the law on criminal procedure and banking supervision to minimise the risks to those who expose these crimes and thus to increase the number of reported cases of suspicious activity. The scope for action by investigatory and supervisory authorities would also be explored and proposals drawn up on how current law could be expanded or modified.

PKG project outline (only available in German)

     

RiKo: Corruption risk management from the perspective of businesses, local authorities and the police

Funding codes  13N13071 to 13N13076

Every year, corrupt activities by individuals cause significant material damage to businesses and public administration bodies. This in turn results in a loss of public confidence and in non-material damage for society. The aim of the RiKo project was to understand how relevant actors perceive and assess corruption risks. The team would be examining how corruption networks develop and operate as well as looking at information provided by the public and cooperation with law enforcement agencies. The partners on this joint project were formulating approaches to effective corruption prevention for businesses and local authorities plus guidelines for all stakeholders involved.

More information (only available in German)

    

VERTRAG: Trusted exchange of intellectual property in industry

Funding codes  13N13097 to 13N13102

One in five German companies have experienced economic espionage or suspected cases thereof. Small and medium-sized enterprises are often particularly affected. The objective behind this project is to counteract digital theft of intellectual property. To do that, the project team was drawing up organisational, technical and legal measures. At the organisational level, the project partners were investigating how networked, cross-company systems can be made more secure. They will then move on to the technical level to design a demonstrator for information flow control in these networks.

VERTRAG project outline (only available in German)

   

WISKOS: Economic and industrial espionage in Germany and Europe

Funding codes  13N13410 and 13N13411

The damage caused to Germany’s national economy by economic espionage is estimated to be around 100 billion euros per year. The partners on the WISKOS project were analysing the extent and legal context of economic espionage and drawing up preventive measures to provide protection against economic crime. The intention was to enable businesses, research centres and authorities to detect theft of business and trade secrets earlier and to assess risks better.

More information (only available in German)