Deception (social engineering): Private individual, Switzerland 2025
Since the beginning of 2025, the Fribourg cantonal police have received more than twenty reports about fake police officers.
- Incident · 02.2025 · Canton of Fribourg, Switzerland
- Evidence: confirmed by an authority
- Deception (social engineering)
- Fraud
As of
What happened
The perpetrators called elderly people, claimed an unusual event or fraudulent transactions and sent an intermediary in plain clothes to the front door. Nine people handed over bank cards, codes, cash or jewellery; the loss was more than 70'000 francs plus jewellery.
- Affected
- Private individual (anonymous)
- Industry
- Private individual
- Loss
- CHF 70'000
- Figure given by the source
- more than 70'000 francs and jewellery of unknown value
- Business interruption
- unknown
- Ransom demanded / paid
- unknown / unknown
- Data affected
- unknown
- Bankruptcy
- no
- Entry point
- Call from fake police officers, followed by an intermediary at the front door
What would cyber insurance have paid?
That depends on the terms. Whether those affected were insured: unknown.
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Misuse of card, Twint, e-banking
Strangers pay with your money
Mostly limited 25 of 29 private products cover it fully, as an add-on or with limits.
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Hotline and advice before anything happens
Mostly no information 14 of 29 private products cover it fully, as an add-on or with limits.
Overview based on public policy terms, as of 06.11.2026. Only your policy and its general terms and conditions (GTC) are binding. No confirmation of cover.
What we can learn
The police never collect cards, codes or valuables from your home.
Sources
- Die Polizei verstärkt ihren Kampf gegen Betrügereien mit falschen Polizisten (opens in a new window) Kantonspolizei Freiburg · 19.02.2025
«Die Betrüger kontaktieren ältere Menschen telefonisch und geben sich als Polizisten aus.»