Phishing: Private individual, Switzerland 2025
Since the beginning of April 2025, more than 70 people in the canton of Bern who wanted to sell something on classified ads platforms reported the same fraud.
- Incident · 05.2025 · Canton of Bern, Switzerland
- Evidence: confirmed by an authority
- Phishing
- Account takeover
- Fraud
As of
What happened
Supposed buyers wanted to pay via a link or QR code that led to fake login pages of the Post, Twint or banks. With the data entered, the perpetrators gained access to bank and Twint accounts; the loss amounted to around 100'000 francs.
- Affected
- Private individual (anonymous)
- Industry
- Private individual
- Loss
- CHF 100'000
- Figure given by the source
- around 100'000 francs (more than 70 cases)
- Business interruption
- unknown
- Ransom demanded / paid
- unknown / unknown
- Data affected
- unknown
- Bankruptcy
- no
- Entry point
- Payment link or QR code from a supposed buyer on a classified ads platform
What would cyber insurance have paid?
That depends on the terms. Whether those affected were insured: unknown.
-
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.
-
Shipped, but never paid
Mostly no information 10 of 29 private products cover it fully, as an add-on or with limits.
-
Social media, email or shop taken over
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
Anyone receiving money does not need to log in anywhere; a login link from the buyer is phishing.
Sources
- 100'000 Franken futsch: Kantonspolizei Bern warnt vor neuer Phishing-Masche (opens in a new window) Blick (gestützt auf Kantonspolizei Bern) · 28.05.2025