More and more cases of scams orchestrated by people pretending to be police officers are occurring in French-speaking Switzerland. While the canton of Fribourg seems to be relatively unaffected for the time being, the Fribourg cantonal police are warning the population about this phenomenon. They are asking people to immediately inform them of any attempted scams by dialing the emergency number 117.
“Very well organized,” the criminals very often target “unsuspecting” elderly people by calling them by phone, the police described in a press release. Once put under pressure, the victims hand over cash (usually large sums) or their cards and their codes to strangers.
From abroad
Recently, a plainclothes scammer showed up at the home of an elderly person in Fribourg with a fake police badge and a false identity. This “with the intention of obtaining the bank card and code under false pretenses”, reports the cantonal police. It continues: “The perpetrators generally operate from abroad and only send intermediaries to Switzerland. Sometimes, the victims are driven by taxi in order to pay the money in person”.
In order to combat these cases, the police list several tips:
- If someone pressures you on the phone, hang up immediately.
- If you are told that a loved one is involved, hang up and then contact that loved one.
- Never give cash or valuables to someone you don’t know.
- Never get into a taxi ordered by strangers.
- Systematically block unwanted calls with your operator.
Elodie Fessler
#Swiss
