Keystone
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A lot of drudgery is driven with supposedly reputable debt advice.
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Investigators struck on February 3rd. In Switzerland and Germany, they searched the offices and apartments of around 90 companies and their owners. The allegations: fraud, money laundering and unfair competition. Since 2015, these companies are said to have ripped off around 10 million francs with their scam. The Swiss Federal Prosecutor’s Office speaks of a “very extensive and complex structure of the established business model”.
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Sandra Stutz got into this business model by chance. At the beginning of March 2020, she set up her own practice for life counseling in Zurich, just a few days before the Federal Council announced the shutdown. The clientele stayed away, and in the autumn Stutz’s financial resources came to an end.
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“Exceptional financial solutions”
She came across Interhypo Suisse GmbH on the Internet. The “intermediary for exceptional financial solutions” (self-promotion) guarantees a decision within 24 hours. And he promises that financial problems can be solved “without a bank”. Not until far down on the website is it stated that Interhypo does not grant any credits or loans, but merely mediates “financial restructuring to regulate debts and liabilities”.
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Sandra Stutz applied for CHF 30,000 using the online form. After a few hours, I received a “declaration of acceptance” by email – and an invoice. First of all, the company wanted to collect 2265 francs for its mediation with another company. When Stutz canceled, a “Lara Engelmann” persuaded her on the phone to a higher loan of 40,000 francs, with 167 monthly installments of 280 francs each. The “agency fee” for this: around 3,000 francs, payable in two tranches to a company in Thurgau.
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Got caught in a bad scam
During the phone calls with “Lara Engelmann”, she repeatedly emphasized that she needed a loan and not a debt restructuring, says Sandra Stutz. “They then advised me to simply state that I owed my mother the 40,000 francs. Then I would get the money. ” Stutz signed, paid the fee – and waited. The money should come from another company, Garwoc Suisse AG in Stans NW. But she took her time.
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Finally, Stutz realized which scam she was caught. From the monthly installments that she was supposed to transfer to Garwoc Suisse AG, the latter picked up 15 percent “administration fees” and passed the rest on to her mother. Stutz would have paid money into her mother’s account through Garwoc Suisse for almost 14 years, transferring around 6,000 francs in interest and “administration fees”, but never received a loan.
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Suddenly the money flows
The accusation that Sandra Stutz has been guaranteed a loan is “unfounded,” says Martin Lempert, owner of Interhypo Suisse. “Our company and our business model are indisputably serious and professional.” At Garwoc, Paul Martin Iten, Chairman of the Board of Directors, declares that it is “a debt regulator, not a financial intermediary” and has always adhered to the law.
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observer
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This article was taken from the magazine “Observer”. You can find more exciting articles at www.beobachter.ch
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Garwoc is now in liquidation. Coincidence or not: A few days after the observer started the research, Sandra Stutz received part of her money back from the company. However, Interhypo Suisse continues despite the raid against financial restructuring. When asked whether the police action also affected his company, the owner Lempert evades. They cooperate fully with the authorities and are “very confident that we will refute the allegations in a timely manner”.
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Published: 03/28/2021, 10:46 am
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