A 51-year-old Portuguese man is suspected of orchestrating a fraud exceeding half a million euros against various insurance companies in Switzerland and Liechtenstein by staging workplace accidents.
Between 2021 and 2023, the man allegedly established a “network of accomplices to defraud accident insurers on a large scale.”
The suspect reportedly “recruited” acquaintances, friends, and family members willing to fake workplace accidents, created “false résumés” that led to employment, opened bank accounts, created email addresses, arranged accommodation and transportation, and coordinated between doctors, employers, and insurers.
Shortly after beginning their employment, the accomplices simulated a workplace accident and the resulting inability to work.
The fake workers thus received sickness benefits, with the Portuguese man taking a share of the funds.
In total, four insurance companies were defrauded of more than 575,000 Swiss francs, approximately 613,000 euros.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office of St. Gallen described the scheme as “a particularly sophisticated commercial fraud.”
Alongside the Portuguese suspect, who is the main defendant, 14 other individuals are charged with the same crime.
The prosecution is seeking a three-year prison sentence and over 365,000 euros in compensation for the Portuguese man. If convicted, he will also be banned from returning to Switzerland for 14 years.
The remaining defendants, if convicted, are likely to receive lighter sentences.
