"Economic Crime Today" | Detective Patrick Kurtz in the Trade Magazine "Die Wirtschaft Köln"

The Pickpockets from Within

It is said that money stops friendship. When someone has a particularly large amount – which is usually the case in companies – it awakens desires that can threaten the existence of both perpetrators and victims. We spoke with someone who knows this world. With him, we delved into the day-to-day work of an economic detective.

 

In essence, it is a fundamentally sad business: it is about mistrust, deception, theft and repeated fraud. "Whether in private matters or in business," explains Patrick Kurtz, owner since 2013 of the eponymous detective agency in Antoniterstrasse, Cologne. In these cases, fraud often occurs alongside infidelity, sick leave and expense abuse, privately claimed fuel receipts, up to (data) theft and embezzlement. In most cases, the circle of offenders is relatively small: predominantly employees. "We handled a case where the best friend and oldest employee of the company owner, together with his son, falsified invoices, pocketed the amounts illicitly, and meanwhile set up a competing business using the company vehicles – including secret client poaching," Kurtz recounts.

Meeting Again – on the Internet

Entrepreneurs often receive tips, after which they find their own products being sold online. A company in the automotive supplier sector discovered products with its unique QR codes on the internet, and conducted test purchases to ensure certainty. In 2014, the Ford works were affected on a large scale: cockpits and other accessories were intended for export abroad.

North Rhine-Westphalia Leads in Every Respect

Once goods have left the company, numerous risks from freight theft arise. Unfortunately, it is often the employees themselves who use construction materials or consumer goods for personal use or resale. "It is relatively common for entire lorry loads, including trailers, to be stolen," reports Kurtz. Drivers are often incapacitated with gas while sleeping through slightly open windows, particularly in summer. Because numerous fences and other accomplices are usually involved, such investigations are often very extensive. Even in these cases, North Rhine-Westphalia unfortunately leads in the crime statistics, Kurtz notes. Damage in these cases often amounts to high five-figure sums, but fortunately the success rates are also very high. The specialist responsible for these offences at Kurtz Detective Agency is a former independent logistics entrepreneur with extensive expertise ranging from personnel to accounting.

How Does One Become a Detective?

"Strictly speaking, anyone can go on the hunt," says Kurtz. He regrets that there is no mandatory formal training for this profession. Those without proper training, he explains, can potentially put themselves and their clients at risk of legal consequences. A reputable provider can be recognised by relevant certificates, as well as by a transparent pricing structure. Many of his detectives are former security professionals from investigative authorities such as customs, police, and even the Federal Intelligence Service (BND). Most detectives work freelance – "lone wolves," Kurtz describes. Unfortunately, the study of criminalistics was abolished in Germany in the mid-1990s, and profiling is still in its infancy in the country. He considers himself particularly fortunate that, for example, his chief investigator for IT offences is both a graduate criminalist and an IT expert. Kurtz notes: "Such expertise is extremely rare today!" After completing a degree in European literature – where detective stories certainly played a significant role – and attending the Berlin Security Academy, Kurtz founded his detective agency, which now has branches in several German cities and uncovers around 500 cases per year – "successfully," as he emphasises.

Kurtz Detective Agency Cologne

Zülpicher Straße 58D

D-50674 Köln | Cologne

Tel.: +49 221 4558 0377

E-Mail: kontakt@kurtz-detektei-koeln.de  

Web: https://www.kurtz-detektei-koeln.de/en

Google: https://g.page/kurtz-detektei-koeln