Deception (social engineering): Private individual, Switzerland 2026
A supposed recruiter offered an IT professional a job at a well-known company via LinkedIn.
- Incident · 06.2026 · Switzerland
- Evidence: confirmed by an authority
- Deception (social engineering)
- Malware
As of
What happened
In the technical interview, the person was asked to download a private GitHub repository and solve a programming task; in the process, an infostealer was installed unnoticed. It was designed to read out crypto wallets, stored login data and browser cookies and send them to the attackers.
- Affected
- Private individual (anonymous)
- Industry
- Private individual
- Loss
- no reliable figure
- Business interruption
- unknown
- Ransom demanded / paid
- unknown / unknown
- Data affected
- Crypto wallets, stored login data, browser cookies (target of the infostealer; exfiltration not reported)
- Bankruptcy
- no
- Entry point
- fake recruiter on LinkedIn, rigged programming task on GitHub
What would cyber insurance have paid?
That depends on the terms. Whether those affected were insured: unknown.
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Remove malware, restore data and devices
Mostly no information 15 of 29 private products cover it fully, as an add-on or with limits.
-
Orders and accounts in your name
Mostly limited 22 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
Code from a job application test never belongs on the computer where passwords and wallets are stored.
Sources
- Woche 23: Stellensuchende im Visier – Phishing, Betrug und Schadsoftware im Bewerbungsprozess (opens in a new window) Bundesamt für Cybersicherheit BACS · 09.06.2026
«Im Rahmen eines technischen Interviews sollte der Melder ein privates GitHub-Repository herunterladen»