Commercial Investigation Agency Cologne | Corporate Detectives Cologne

The City of Cologne pursues active initiatives to attract high-performing commercial enterprises and highly qualified specialists. Cologne is presented as a brand that clearly distinguishes itself from other major economic centres in Germany, Europe, and the world through its quality of life and future prospects. The trump cards of our cathedral city are the internationality of the metropolitan region in the heart of Europe, supported by a level of digitalisation unique in Germany, Cologne’s status as a research location with an elite university, various research institutes and trade fairs, and of course Cologne’s attractiveness as a liveable metropolis with several internationally renowned landmarks and a vibrant culture. Due to the size and importance of Cologne’s economy, however, economic crime is a major issue – details follow below.

Economic Crime Causes Enormous Damage

Through criminal activities by employees, business partners, and competitors, German companies suffer annual losses amounting to billions. In North Rhine-Westphalia, total damage caused by crime for the year 2014 is estimated at 1.8 billion euros, of which 375.9 million euros alone are attributable to Cologne, with 217.3 million euros of this resulting from economic crime. The cathedral city is thus, after Frankfurt am Main, the large city with the second-highest crime rate in all of Germany. The annual total number of offences most recently exceeded the mark of 150,000 crimes several times, representing the highest crime burden per inhabitant in North Rhine-Westphalia.

 

Individual employees commit thefts, sometimes also acts of sabotage. Excessive expenses are claimed, sick leave is taken while working for competitors, and similar misconduct occurs. Competitors attempt to appropriate technological solutions, patents, or other internal company information through industrial espionage. There are cases of unfair practices or credit endangerment. Companies are blackmailed, threatened, or coerced. The demand for and potential of commercial investigations therefore increase year after year.

 

Companies do not always wish to clarify internal matters through the courts and thus publicly. The evidence obtained through the work of our Cologne commercial detectives often enables an out-of-court settlement with the illegally acting employee. You can rely on our discretion. Receive advice on your case from the investigators of Kurtz Investigations Cologne: +49 221 4558 0377.

Cologne Economic Figures at Record Levels

In 2014, the more than 83,000 Cologne companies recorded record turnover of 146 billion euros, breaking several additional records in the process. No wonder, as Cologne is rightly regarded as the media capital of the Republic and additionally as one of the leading research locations with more than 48,000 students and nearly 600 professors at the University of Cologne, which is officially permitted to call itself an “Elite University” at least until 2017, as well as almost 17,000 enrolled students and around 400 professors at Cologne University of Applied Sciences, making it the largest of its kind in Germany. Also not to be forgotten is the German Sport University, the only one of its kind in the Republic, with successful graduates such as Christoph Daum and prominent guest lecturers such as Jürgen Klopp. All in all, there are more than 80,000 students at 14 (!) higher education institutions in Cologne. Consequently, the city maintains cooperation with numerous countries, including since 2014 with the special economic zone HZZK, the Chinese Silicon Valley. In general, cooperation with China is close, which is why Cologne is regarded as Germany’s China centre.

 

All these impressive facts underline the enormous economic potential of our carnival stronghold. Economic strength attracts economic crime. For prevention, clarification, and evidence gathering, the detectives of Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne are happy to assist you: +49 221 4558 0377.

Range of Services of the Kurtz Commercial Detective Agency Cologne

Kurtz Investigations Cologne offers, among other things, the following commercial investigations:

 

• Investigations in cases of theft, acts of sabotage, disclosure of trade secrets, and similar matters
• Employee surveillance in cases of suspected wage continuation fraud
• Employee surveillance in cases of suspected secondary or additional employment (violation of competition clause, non-compete obligation, etc.)
• Employee surveillance in cases of suspected billing and expenses fraud
• Surveillance in cases of suspected undeclared work
• Screening of applicants
• Proof of illegal activities by competitors
• Identifying the perpetrators of reputational damage or smear campaigns
• Investigations in cases of patent and competition infringements
• Transport surveillance
• Undercover infiltration of companies