Ticket inspectors of a company working on behalf of the Deutsche Bahn AG should have deceived passengers using the S-Bahn (suburban train) at Berlin.
According to the German Federal Police the scammers watched out for travelers who are not familiar with the local ticket practices: The voyagers bought wrong tickets unintentionally or did not validate their S-Bahn ticket correctly.
Instead of showing a certain kind of goodwill and explaining how the ticket validation procedure works, the ticket inspectors blamed the passengers for fare evasion and forced them to pay a penalty. The travelers paid but they did not obtain a payment receipt.
The ticket inspectors kept the money for themselves. Now, the German Federal Police investigates against these ticket officers due to fraud, compulsion and embezzlement.
Tips for consumers:
Make sure that you have a valid ticket prior to catching the train.
If you are at a foreign train station go to the ticket office and ask if something remains unclear concerning the ticket procedure. Or ask a train guard.
If you are controlled and if you have to pay a fine, ask for a receipt. If the ticket inspectors refuse to issue one, do not hesitate to contact the police.
In case of problems with a German railway company, e.g. regarding delayed or cancelled trains, damaged or lost luggage and so on, please feel free to contact the European Consumer Centre of your mother country.
