Crime: Financial institutions hit hardest

According to the "KPMG Forensic Fraud Barometer", 77 cases of white-collar crime were recorded in Switzerland in 2014. Compared to the previous year, the number of recorded cases increased by 32.7%. However, the volume of losses decreased by 35.3% and amounted to around 537 million Swiss francs in 2014. The higher volume of losses in 2013 was due to four extraordinary cases with loss volumes of over 125 million Swiss francs each. Compared to 2012, the volume of claims increased by 8% in 2014. As in the previous year, embezzlement was the most frequently recorded offense in 2014, with 20 cases. The criminally obtained assets were often used to finance an expensive lifestyle or addictive behavior, especially drug or gambling addiction.

Financial institutions were again the most affected victim group in 2014. Their total loss volume amounted to a good CHF 323 million. Financial institutions also had the highest average loss volume per case, at CHF 18 million. The second-highest loss volume, at CHF 137 million, was among investors. However, their average loss was considerably lower at 12.4 million Swiss francs, according to the report.

Zurich with the highest white-collar crime rate

As in previous years, the Zurich area recorded the most white-collar crime offenses in 2014, with 27 cases. At CHF 13.8 million, the average damage volume in the Zurich area was the highest in a regional comparison. The volume of damage per case was only half as high in Ticino, the second-ranked region, at CHF 6.7 million. In addition, the case with the highest damage volume was handled in Zurich.

Methodology: The "KPMG Forensic Fraud Barometer" is based on white-collar crime cases with a loss amount of at least CHF 50,000 that were closed by a Swiss criminal court in the reporting year and were reported on in the most important Swiss daily and weekly newspapers.