Bernard Group AG conducts independent verification of international financial and corporate transactions. We establish the authenticity of documents and bank instruments, verify counterparties and beneficial owners, identify hidden risks and fraudulent structures, and provide the client with a reasoned assessment before capital is committed or obligations are assumed.
In international finance, losses are as a rule attributable not to market conditions but to an unverified counterparty, a forged instrument or a concealed term. Independent examination conducted before a transaction is the principal means of preventing them.
Our work rests on the systematic examination of every element of a transaction. The following sets out what we examine and what it reveals.
We establish who in fact stands behind the counterparty: the chain of ownership down to the ultimate beneficiary, the corporate history, the register status, and presence on sanctions and reputational lists. A substituted or concealed beneficial owner is among the most frequent indicators of a bad-faith transaction.
We examine the authenticity of an instrument in substance, not in appearance: the conformity of its wording to the applicable rulesets (UCP 600, ISP98, URDG 758), the existence and standing of the issuing bank, and the soundness of its structure and terms.
We analyse messages for conformity to ISO 15022 standards, examine the logic and sequence of the correspondence, and identify discrepancies characteristic of forgeries and imitations of interbank exchange.
We examine the economic substance and the evidenced origin of funds — both on the counterparty's side and within the structure of the transaction itself.
We conduct a legal review of the contractual terms and the architecture of the transaction, identifying concealed obligations, unbalanced terms and constructions that shift risk onto the client.
We identify characteristic patterns — advance-fee fraud, fictitious prime-bank instruments, forged confirmations and other schemes built on the expectation that the other party will not verify the details before transferring funds.
The examination results in a written report prepared for decision-making. It comprises a statement of the subject and perimeter of the review; findings on each element of the transaction examined; a list of identified risks and matters requiring attention; an overall risk rating on a three-level scale; and recommendations as to the course of action.
Green — acceptable risk. No material impediment identified; the transaction may be considered for execution on the verified terms.
Amber — attention required. Factors identified that require resolution or further verification before obligations are assumed; specific recommendations are provided.
Red — high risk. Indicators of bad faith, falsification or unacceptable risk identified; abstention from the transaction is recommended.
The report is provided to the client alone. It does not constitute investment or legal advice but an independent factual assessment on the basis of which the client makes its own decision.
01 · Definition of scope and identification. Establishment of the subject of review and the transaction perimeter; client identification under AML / KYC standards.
02 · Data collection and verification. Analysis of counterparties, beneficial owners, documents and instruments; checks against corporate registers, sanctions lists and reputational sources.
03 · Technical examination of instruments. Authentication of bank instruments and analysis of SWIFT messages against the standards and for indicators of falsification.
04 · Risk assessment. Consolidation of findings into an assessment of legal, financial and reputational risk.
05 · Findings and support. Delivery of a written report with conclusions and recommendations; where required, coordination with banks and legal advisers and support of the client through to completion.
Verification is conducted under Swiss law and AML / KYC standards. The establishment of beneficial owners and source-of-funds checks are carried out in accordance with the Swiss Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA, SR 955.0). Sanctions screening of counterparties is conducted with regard to the Embargo Act (EmbG, SR 946.231) and applicable international sanctions regimes.
Where indicators of falsification of documents or instruments are identified, we refer to the classification of the relevant conduct under the Swiss Criminal Code — in particular as regards fraud (Art. 146 SCC) and forgery of documents (Art. 251 SCC). Personal data obtained in the course of verification is processed in accordance with the Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP, SR 235.1) and, where applicable, the GDPR. Findings are provided to the client alone and held in strict confidence.
Before you commit capital, we verify every detail. We identify hidden risks, expose fraudulent structures, and protect your interests throughout the entire transaction.