For several weeks, several Swiss cantons have been faced with a wave of telephone scams aimed at intimidating and defrauding the elderly. The police warn.
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For several weeks, several Swiss cantons have been faced with a wave of telephone scams aimed at intimidating and defrauding the elderly. So-called police officers are trying to extort money from victims who themselves do not suspect the deception, alerting several cantonal police in a press release on Friday.
Thousands of francs at stake
The procedure is almost always the same. At the other end of the line, scammers posing as law enforcement tell their victims to stay on the line. They then explain that a member of their family is involved in a traffic accident and is currently in detention or in hospital. The scammers then claim that this relative must pay a certain sum, either to cover the costs of his hospitalization, or to post a bond for his release.
If in some cases, it remains at the stage of the attempt, in others, the stratagem proves successful. It is often several tens of thousands of Swiss francs per call, specifies the Friborg police. So far, most of the cases identified concern Romandie and eastern Switzerland.
Beware of foreign numbers
Last December, many unwanted calls from foreign numbers were reported in Switzerland. The Zurich cantonal police recommended not to call back these numbers, because they might be chargeable. Reminders can indeed be billed at 20 francs or more.
Computer security expert Thomas Dübendorfer recalled that suspicious numbers can be reported to the National Cybersecurity Center (NCSC).