Inside Wirecard German payments processor has battled allegations of fraud, forgery and opaque business links. Whistleblower warned EY of Wirecard fraud four years before collapseExclusive: Employee at payments group’s longtime auditor flagged suspicious accounting and attempted bribery in 2016 Wirecard: the scandal spreads to German politicsAngela Merkel and other leading politicians continued to lobby for the payments group even as the warning signs grew Wirecard: the frantic final months of a fraudulent operationA plan to buy Deutsche Bank is now seen as part of a desperate effort to disguise fraud at the German payments group Wirecard: the timelineHow the payments group became one of the hottest stocks in Europe while battling persistent allegations of fraud Wirecard and me: Dan McCrum on exposing a criminal enterpriseIntimidation, surveillance and conspiracy theories: inside the FT’s five-year investigation of a billion-dollar fraud German parliament to open full inquiry into Wirecard collapseDecision comes as MPs question why regulators failed to detect huge corporate fraud More from this Series Prosecutors suspect Wirecard was looted before collapsePayments provider ramped up unsecured loans to opaque business partners in Asia to $1bn earlier this year Wirecard chief and 730 staff cut as administrator takes chargePositions go as November date is set for first creditors’ meeting Wirecard business partner reported dead in PhilippinesChristopher Bauer was being investigated over the collapse of the German payments group Einhorn says Wirecard fraud was ‘hiding in plain sight’Short seller attacks regulator and auditors in investor letter for failing to detect signs Wirecard processed payments for mafia-linked casinoMalta-based gaming company CenturionBet was used by the ’Ndrangheta crime organisation to launder money Wirecard scandal will drive supervision overhaul, says EU economy chiefPrevious failed attempt to reinforce EU watchdogs was a ‘missed opportunity’, says Dombrovskis Former Wirecard CEO rearrested and accused of long-running fraudMarkus Braun and other executives detained in wake of collapse of once high-flying German technology group Wirecard’s Braun took €35m loan from group’s banking armRegulators examining deal that is said to have provoked a ‘furious’ reaction from board Wirecard made this short seller right but not richLeo Perry of Ennismore Fund Management long believed that payments group was a fraud McKinsey warned Wirecard a year ago to take action on controlsManagement board later passed over consultancy for compliance work in favour of PwC From payments to armaments: the double life of Wirecard’s Jan MarsalekA suspect in one of Germany’s biggest financial frauds talked of assembling a Libyan militia and bragged of adventures with Russian troops Germany to overhaul accounting regulation after Wirecard collapse Watchdog’s powers to be transferred to BaFin as deputy finance minister calls for ‘radical solutions’ Markus Braun, Wirecard chief goes from billionaire to bailArrest on Monday came days before German payments processor’s collapse on Thursday EY failed to check Wirecard bank statements for 3 yearsAuditor of insolvent payments group under fire for failing to detect fraud Wirecard collapses into insolvency Auditor EY says it found ‘clear indications of elaborate and sophisticated fraud’ at German payments company Wirecard scandal leaves German regulators under firePoliticians turn scrutiny on BaFin as implosion of payments group hurts Germany’s reputation Ex-Wirecard chief Markus Braun arrestedRegulators act to ringfence group’s bank as former head released from custody on €5m bail SoftBank executives set to lose profits from Wirecard tradeUnit of Japanese technology group engineered intricate $1bn bet on German payments company’s stock Wirecard fights for survival as it admits scale of fraudPolice open probe and regulator says affair is ‘a shame’ for Germany as payments group withdraws previous results Wirecard’s €1.9bn never entered Philippine financial system, bank governor saysFresh doubt cast on German group’s explanation for missing deposits Why was Frankfurt so blind for so long about Wirecard?Germany’s financial establishment too often views harsh criticism of corporations as an affront The fund managers who kept faith with WirecardTim Albrecht of DWS and Alexander Darwall of Devon Equity Management made outsized bets despite fraud warnings Wirecard chief quits as crisis deepensMarkus Braun resigns as payment group’s shares continue to collapse and investors threaten legal action Wirecard’s future in doubt after missing cash spooks investorsAuditor’s findings trigger collapse in German group’s stock market value Wirecard says €1.9bn of cash is missingShares of payments group crash as it says a third party may have tried ‘to deceive’ its auditor Wirecard: what KPMG’s report foundThe payments group had predicted vindication from a special audit — it did not arrive How the paper trail went cold in KPMG’s special audit of Wirecard The accounting firm struggled to verify €1bn of payments held by an uncooperative trustee Wirecard offices searched as prosecutors probe management boardGerman financial watchdog filed criminal complaint against CEO Markus Braun and three other top executives KPMG unable to verify Wirecard’s third-party profitsAccounting firm also complained of obstacles in completing special audit of German payments group Wirecard: inside an accounting scandalA preliminary report by a top law firm has unveiled a pattern of suspected book-padding across the group’s Asian operations Wirecard’s suspect accounting practices revealedFT Investigation: internal documents from the payments company point to a concerted effort to fraudulently inflate sales and profits Wirecard critics targeted in London spy operationFormer Libyan intelligence chief oversaw surveillance of investors including Crispin Odey KPMG widens review of Wirecard accountingSpecial audit will now look at accusations concerning type of lending made to merchants Wirecard’s singular approach to counting cash German fintech boosted its cash reserves using trust accounts from its payments processing operations Wirecard: the unanswered questionsGerman fintech company’s rebuttal of the FT’s reporting leaves unanswered questions Wirecard’s problem partnersHalf of the German company’s revenues come from partners but at some there is a mismatch with the reality on the ground Wirecard document points to reliance on 3 partnersCompany fails to explain why spreadsheet’s data should be disregarded Wirecard executives approved transactions in fraud probeDocuments indicate Jan Marsalek was aware of €2m transfer investigated by Singapore police Wirecard boss tells staff accounting allegations ‘addressed’Markus Braun posts Twitter video after reports that executives approved transactions at centre of criminal probe The engineering behind SoftBank’s Wirecard betJapanese tech group is buying convertible bond that can be repaid in stock Police raid Wirecard’s Singapore officesAuthorities step up action against German fintech group following FT investigation Wirecard relied on three opaque partners for almost all its profitWhistleblowers claim unit of German payments group was not audited Wirecard affair shows up German tendency to close ranksFast-growing start-ups require robust oversight of their global operations Wirecard’s meteoric rise prompts questionsControversy dogs payments company that has a valuation of more than 40 times next year’s expected earnings SoftBank to invest €900m in WirecardGerman payments company prepares to reveal annual results amid accounting scandal Wirecard says some Singapore staff may face criminal liabilityGerman fintech group’s shares surge after it says probe by lawyers found ‘no material impact’ Wirecard ‘loses contact’ with executive in scandalSingapore court dismisses fintech group’s attempt to limit scope of investigation German regulator files complaint on alleged Wirecard manipulationBaFin targets two FT journalists and several short-sellers after reports hit payments group’s share price Executive at payments giant suspected of using forged contractsInternal presentation pointed to possible ‘falsification of accounts’ Wirecard’s law firm found evidence of forgery and false accountsGerman payments company provides no comment on internal investigation Wirecard: a "final" R&T report does not existAnd how could it when the cops are still investigating? Deutsche Bank behind €150m loan to Wirecard founderGerman lender took almost half Markus Braun’s stake in payments group as collateral Mensch! Dan McCrum is innocent, ok?The market in Wirecard was not manipulated. German regulator bans shorting of Wirecard sharesBaFin cites ‘serious threat to market confidence’ following collapse in stock price Wirecard discloses investigation into accounting allegations Singapore police are looking into matter but shares gain on group’s reassurances German regulators probe price decline at WirecardBaFin investigates ‘potential market manipulation’ of payments group
