In precarious times, companies face heightened risks of fraud, embezzlement, misconduct, corruption and other financial crimes. When such incidents occur, it is essential to act swiftly and credibly to meet stakeholder expectations (including regulators). A rapid response helps you gather relevant evidence, understand what happened, recover lost assets, take action against perpetrators and reduce potential reputational damage or commercial damage.

Having conducted some of the world’s most extensive and high-profile financial investigations, we know how to establish the facts and navigate sensitive, potentially damaging situations. Depending on the circumstances, we carry out comprehensive investigations or targeted reviews focused on specific allegations, individuals or transactions.

Our Swiss Forensic team is part of a global network of over 3,500 professionals, bringing together investigators, accountants, forensic technology specialists and law-enforcement experts. Responding quickly and effectively to alleged or suspected fraud or misconduct is crucial, and our team is equipped to support you at every step.

Bob Dillen

Partner, Head of Forensic

KPMG Switzerland

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Eric Blot

Partner, Forensic Western Switzerland

KPMG Switzerland

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Why KPMG services?

Rapid response & Immediate mobilization

Our team is equipped with the tools needed to respond quickly to incidents and secure evidence without delay – whether physical or electronic (e-Discovery). We work in full compliance with strict data privacy and protection laws, ensuring a secure chain of custody at all times.

Multilingual & multidisciplinary expertise

Our experienced team brings together a broad range of skills, allowing us to adapt seamlessly to different industries and cultural contexts. This ensures effective communication and a clear understanding of the situation, no matter the environment.

Proven methodologies & latest AI-powered investigation capabilities

We combine established methodologies with the latest AI-powered tools to conduct fast, discreet and independent investigations while maintaining strict confidentiality. Our structured approach ensures a thorough process, from evidence review and advanced data analysis to interviews with key stakeholders, all with minimal disruption to your business.

From findings to remediation

Our work does not end with uncovering the facts. We help organizations translate investigation results into targeted remediation measures to address control weaknesses and mitigate future risk.

Understanding your challenges & addressing key pain points

Investigating fraud, bribery or misconduct allegations

Suspected cases of fraud, misconduct or bribery require a structured and independent investigation to establish the facts and protect the organization. Acting quickly while preserving evidence is critical.

We establish the facts efficiently using KPMG’s global forensic investigation methodology. Our teams know how to secure evidence, “freeze the scene” and conduct structured investigations to determine what happened.

Handling whistleblower allegations

Whistleblower reports or internal complaints can raise serious concerns and require a careful, confidential and impartial assessment. Organizations must establish the facts while protecting the integrity of the investigative process.

We conduct independent and confidential investigations to assess the credibility of allegations, gather evidence and provide clear findings to support management decisions.

Responding to employee misconduct

Employee misconduct such as harassment, discrimination, bullying or damage to company property can create legal, reputational and workplace culture risks. Organizations need a structured and impartial investigation process to address allegations and determine appropriate actions.

Our specialists support investigations into employee misconduct, including harassment, discrimination, conflicts of interest, misappropriation of assets and other breaches of company policies.

Supporting legal and regulatory proceedings

When allegations arise, organizations must take the right initial steps to preserve evidence and ensure that any actions and findings can withstand legal scrutiny. Determining the appropriate approach early on is critical to ensure conclusions remain defensible in later legal proceedings.

We provide well-documented, robust findings and expert support to help organizations respond to regulators, auditors and legal proceedings.

Tracing and recovering assets

When fraud or misconduct occurs, organizations may suffer financial losses and need to determine the extent of the damage and locate missing assets. Tracing and recovering assets can be complex and requires specialized expertise.

We assess the scale and cause of financial losses and support asset-tracing and recovery efforts across jurisdictions where needed.

Detecting suspicious transactions and anomalies

Identifying anomalies and suspicious patterns in large volumes of data can be challenging without the right technology. Many organizations struggle to detect fraudulent or harmful behavior in time.

Using advanced forensic technology and data analytics, we identify suspicious activities and anomalies, and provide insights to support further investigation.

Navigating success: our proven approach

Our rigorous step-by-step process allows us to identify perpetrators, quantify the damage, allocate responsibilities, recover assets and protect your organization from future threats.

Scoping and investigation planning

We define the scope of the investigation, develop initial hypotheses and establish a structured work plan.

This includes identifying key risks, determining regulatory or legal requirements and aligning on communication protocols and expected deliverables.

Identification and securing of evidence

Potential sources of physical and electronic evidence as well as relevant individuals are identified. We secure and collect evidence while maintaining strict chain-of-custody documentation.

Data collection and forensic review

Financial, operational and electronic data (incl. mobile devices) are collected, analyzed and prepared for review using the latest forensic technology and eDiscovery tools.

Investigative procedures

Targeted investigative actions are carried out, including forensic interviews, financial analysis and corporate intelligence work. Structured and unstructured data are filtered and analyzed, including AI capabilities to identify relevant information and potential anomalies. These procedures help establish facts and clarify the roles of involved individuals.

Analysis and hypothesis testing

Findings from investigative procedures are assessed against the initial hypotheses and alternative explanations. This critical evaluation ensures that conclusions are evidence-based and robust.

Reporting and support for next steps

We deliver clear and defensible findings tailored to management, boards or regulators. Where required, comprehensive forensic reports are prepared to support legal proceedings or regulatory inquiries.

Successes and partnerships that define our services

Our success stories showcase impactful cross-border and multi-sector interventions, including addressing alleged bribery in a foreign subsidiary and investigating the details of a cyber-fraud incident.

Alleged bribery abroad

A whistleblower raised allegations that improper payments had been made to business partners and public officials. We were engaged to conduct an independent investigation into the matter.

Our work included background checks on relevant individuals and entities, mapping potential relationships between involved parties, and carrying out targeted eDiscovery reviews of electronic communications and documents.

We also conducted a series of forensic interviews with key individuals to clarify the circumstances surrounding the allegations. The findings and supporting evidence were ultimately consolidated and presented in a comprehensive forensic investigation report.

Embezzlement case

We were engaged to conduct an independent investigation into an alleged embezzlement case involving several million Swiss francs.

Our work included background checks on relevant individuals, forensic accounting reviews of a large volume of bank statements to identify potentially embezzled funds supported by data analytics and targeted eDiscovery reviews.

The engagement was carried out in close coordination with external legal counsel. In addition, we supported the company in compiling and providing relevant documentation to the public prosecutor’s office.