Published on 20 May 2026

Combating fraud at the SCO

The Swiss Compensation Office (SCO) is actively committed to combating insurance fraud and receives reports of possible cases of insurance fraud.

• 1. When does a case of insurance fraud occur?

  A possible case of fraud arises if someone:

  • tries to obtain benefits to which they are not entitled, or
  • lies or omits to provide information in order continue receiving a benefit to which they are not entitled.

  Anyone who obtains - for themselves or for others - a benefit to which they are not entitled, whether by providing false or incomplete information or by any other means (e.g. forgery), is committing a criminal offence.

  Proven cases of fraud remain relatively rare, but the SCO applies a zero tolerance policy: solidarity between insured persons and the community's trust in the proper functioning of social security are at stake.

  To avoid any damage to the AHV funds, the SCO is firmly committed to combating fraud. The SCO carries out in-depth checks before benefits are granted, performs regular reviews and investigates suspected cases of fraud.

  It can also call on specialists, such as lawyers, to perform its activities.

• 2. How can information be submitted to the SCO?

  To submit a report, you can choose one of the following methods:

  By email to [e-mail]

  By post at the following address:
  Swiss Compensation Office
  Av. Edmond-Vaucher 18
  P.O. Box 3100
  1211 Geneva 2
  Switzerland

  By phone at [phone]

  By using the contact form below.

• 3. What happens after having reported fraud?

  Special units are responsible for following up and investigating each case. However, given the duty of confidentiality inherent in the exercise of public office, you will not be able to obtain information about any follow-up to your report.

• 4. Examples of typical cases

  • Over the course of several years, an insured person registered a number of children (from different mothers) as his own, and applied for child benefit. Given, among other things, the large age difference between the claimant and the mothers, DNA testing was conducted to verify the children's parentage. Out of all the children registered, only one girl turned out to be the claimant's biological offspring. A restitution procedure was initiated to retrieve the incorrect payments.
  • Two alleged medical students regularly submitted university enrolment certificates. Local checks revealed that the certificates (along with all subsequently submitted documents) were false, an administrative (restitution) procedure was launched and the case was reported to the criminal authorities. A restitution claim was issued against the people who illegally enriched themselves, and a criminal complaint was lodged.
  • Death of an insured person, mother of a son with power of attorney in Switzerland. The SCO regularly received certificates of existence certified by the competent foreign authorities. The attorney claimed that payments should be made to him, as his mother was no longer competent to manage her own affairs. As a result, in later years the benefits were paid into the son's bank account. Through a construction of lies, the agent thus succeeded in “keeping alive” his mother for several years and unlawfully enriching himself. A restitution procedure was initiated to retrieve the incorrect payments, and a criminal complaint was lodged.

Report possible insurance fraud

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