Deception (social engineering): Private individual, Switzerland 2026
On 25 June 2026, fake bank employees called a 77-year-old woman and an 83-year-old man in the canton of St. Gallen.
- Incident · 06.2026 · Canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland
- Evidence: confirmed by an authority
- Deception (social engineering)
- Fraud
- Account takeover
As of
What happened
The woman installed a supposed antivirus program and logged in to e-banking, whereupon the perpetrators triggered three payments totalling around 96'000 francs; the bank stopped one, and a relative cancelled the others in time. For a supposed test of a new security system, the man withdrew 80'000 francs and handed them over to a courier.
- Affected
- Private individual (anonymous)
- Industry
- Private individual
- Loss
- CHF 80'000
- Figure given by the source
- around 80'000 francs lost; around 96'000 francs stopped (total targeted around 176'000 francs)
- Business interruption
- unknown
- Ransom demanded / paid
- unknown / unknown
- Data affected
- unknown
- Bankruptcy
- no
- Entry point
- Calls from fake bank employees (supposed antivirus program, supposed test of a security system)
What would cyber insurance have paid?
That depends on the terms. Whether those affected were insured: unknown.
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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.
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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
If you are pushed on the phone into installing software, logging in or handing over cash, hang up and call the bank on the number you know.
Sources
- Kanton St.Gallen: Betrüger zielen auf 176'000 Franken ab (opens in a new window) Kantonspolizei St. Gallen · 27.06.2026
«Geben Sie keine Passwörter, Login-Daten, Sicherheitscodes oder andere persönliche Daten am Telefon bekannt.»