Crisis companies can be used by criminals to apply for corona support

The police have collaborated with a dozen different authorities in the report to look at ways in which organized crime may exploit vulnerabilities in society during the corona pandemic. This applies not least to the various support measures and grants that go to crisis-stricken companies. 

- We have seen that there are companies that have clear criminal connections and rogue companies that have been involved and applied for grants. And here we have also been able to prevent money not being paid out, says Linda Staaf, head of the intelligence unit at the National Operations Department and one of the report's authors.

During the month of March, almost four times as many companies applied for reconstruction, 73 compared to 19 for 2019.

A corporate reorganization is an alternative to bankruptcy for those companies that have temporary financial problems, but which in the long run have an opportunity to survive. Unlike a bankruptcy trustee, a reorganiser does not have to have the same formal background. It is also the companies that pay for the reorganiser themselves and propose to him.

The report highlights bankruptcy trustees and reorganizers as potentially vulnerable groups when criminals want to exploit companies.

- There is money in crisis-stricken companies and bankruptcies. Then you sit as a bankruptcy trustee in a vulnerable position and can be exposed to unauthorized influence from criminals, says Linda Staaf.

One of the measures proposed in the report, to prevent fraud and fraud by the state measures, is an increased exchange of information between the authorities. In order to deal with cheating, new laws have been introduced that make it possible for the authorities to exchange classified information.

At the turn of the month, the collaboration between the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth and the Swedish Tax Agency was expanded, which also gives the opportunity to make inspection visits to companies.

- We from the Swedish Tax Agency can provide further information that we discover in our inspections and we can request information from the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth in a way that we have the opportunity from other authorities, says Conny Svensson, national coordinator at the Swedish Tax Agency.