Deception (social engineering): Private individual, Switzerland 2026
Perpetrators posed as bank employees on the phone and got victims to hand over the chip of their bank card, in some cases after they had first raised their card limits.
- Incident · 09.2026 · Switzerland
- Evidence: confirmed by an authority
- Deception (social engineering)
- Fraud
As of
What happened
The cut-up card was apparently patched together again and used for cash withdrawals. In one case, the perpetrators captured more than 10'000 francs in this way.
- Affected
- Private individual (anonymous)
- Industry
- Private individual
- Loss
- CHF 10'000
- Figure given by the source
- more than 10'000 francs
- Business interruption
- unknown
- Ransom demanded / paid
- unknown / unknown
- Data affected
- unknown
- Bankruptcy
- no
- Entry point
- Call from a fake bank employee about a supposed security incident
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.
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
If you are asked on the phone to raise your card limit or hand over your card, hang up and call the bank yourself.
Sources
- Wochenrückblick Woche 36: Analoges Skimming – Psychologie statt Technik (opens in a new window) Bundesamt für Cybersicherheit BACS (bis 2023: NCSC) · 08.09.2026
«In einem Fall wurden auf diese Weise über 10'000 Franken erbeutet.»