What fraud costs a financial centre

Worked example. According to estimates in the specialist press, the frauds of 2020 caused more than nine billion dollars of potential losses to the banks, a substantial share of which fell on institutions active in Geneva. For an average Geneva trade finance bank with CHF 3 billion of credit lines, a loss of 150 million on a single fraudulent trader represents nearly five years of margin on its entire portfolio. The withdrawal of three banks from Geneva trade finance after 2020 reduced the financing capacity of the centre by several billion francs and raised the cost of credit for mid-sized traders by 0.5 to 1 percentage point, which, for a trader financing 2 billion of flows a year over 45 days, amounts to an additional annual cost in the order of CHF 1.5 to 3 million. The fraud of one player is paid for by all the others.

For general information only. This article does not constitute legal or tax advice, does not replace advice on an individual case and creates no lawyer-client relationship. It reflects the legal position as of September 2025.

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Dr Alexander Ressos, TEP

Rechtsanwalt/Attorney-at-Law

I am a Swiss attorney-at-law and also admitted as a solicitor in Hong Kong and in England & Wales, with almost 25 years of experience.

Together with my multilingual team, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Ukrainian and French native speakers, I advise companies and their owners from around the world on the full range of banking, corporate, commercial and tax law matters in Switzerland, including international tax planning, fiduciary services, and legal family office services including immigration & relocation or real estate investments. My practice has a particular focus on clients from growth and frontier markets in Greater China, Central Asia and the Caucasus, the rest of Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, and I equally advise clients from Europe and North America. Through an affiliated Swiss trust company, we also take care of the incorporation and ongoing administration of their companies and other structures, including accounting, tax returns and corporate secretarial services, and I serve as a professional director where required. With the support of a network of first-class cooperation partners, I also implement solutions worldwide.

My approach is to act as a trusted advisor who works directly with decision-makers, on an equal footing: I start from what you want to achieve and shape every structure, contract and tax decision around your commercial goals and how it improves your after-tax return. As “lawyers who make it happen”, my team and I stay involved until your company is set up, your structure is in place and your transaction has closed, and we remain available for any follow-on work that may be required. You benefit from bespoke solutions and personal attention, and sound, friendly and practical advice. We are not the lowest-cost provider in the market, nor do we intend to be; our aim is to deliver well-founded, proper solutions and excellent value for money.

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