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Cyber protection for older people: shock calls, investment fraud, romance scams

not covered Paid by you: usually nobody refunds it

Shock calls, fake bank employees, investment fraud and romance scams have one thing in common: the victims make the payment themselves. Banks usually do not refund such payments, and many insurers exclude them.

As of

What is usually not insured

What can happen

Shock call: fake police officer or AI voice of the daughter

An 89-year-old woman receives a call: her daughter has caused an accident and needs bail. In the background, the daughter is apparently crying; the voice has been cloned with AI. A courier collects cash and gold worth more than CHF 28'000.

More on this case
Entry point
Phone call, sometimes with an AI voice
Likelihood
high : St. Gallen 2023 around 40 shock calls in one week, three successful; Fribourg 2025 nine victims, more than CHF 70'000. Fake calls from authorities have fallen sharply since the labelling requirement for mobile numbers was introduced in 2026.
Where does it say so?

Halbjahresbericht 2026/I (Januar–Juni), 24.08.2026

Open document: Halbjahresbericht 2026/I (Januar–Juni) (opens in a new window), retrieved 06.11.2026

What AI changes
A voice can be cloned with just a few seconds of audio from videos, voice messages or voicemail. In the canton of Schwyz in 2026, an owner made transfers of several million francs after calls with an AI voice.
What to watch out for
How to protect yourself
  • Agree a family code word for emergencies.
  • Hang up and call the person yourself on the number you know.
  • The police never ask for money or valuables; call 117 immediately.

Receipt

Shock call: fake police officer or AI voice of the daughter

Tap a line for the reasoning

  • Cash and valuables handed over CHF 10'000–50'000 not covered

    Valuables handed over by the victim are excluded (Mobiliar let. f: grandchild scam, fake police officer; AXA and Swisscom: voluntary payments). Documented: more than 28'000, 40'000 and more than 21'000 francs (St. Gallen 2023).

  • Legal protection, criminal complaint no reliable figure unclear

    Internet legal protection CHF 10'000–20'000 per case, depending on the product only for certain disputes. Cannot be quantified.

Usually stays with youCHF 10'000–50'000

Deepfake advert for an investment

A woman sees a video in which a well-known entrepreneur apparently recommends an investment platform. She first pays 250 francs, and «advisers» push her into making more and more deposits; she loses almost half a million.

More on this case
Entry point
Deepfake advertising on social media
Likelihood
medium : Documented Swiss cases in 2026 (CHF 10'000 and almost CHF 500'000); NCSC reports of investment fraud advertising fell sharply in 2026.
Where does it say so?

Halbjahresbericht 2026/I (Januar–Juni), 24.08.2026

Open document: Halbjahresbericht 2026/I (Januar–Juni) (opens in a new window), retrieved 06.11.2026

What AI changes
Deepfake videos of celebrities are the entry point.
What to watch out for
How to protect yourself
  • Celebrities never advertise platforms on social media.
  • Invest only with FINMA-authorised institutions (check the list).
  • Never grant remote access.

Receipt

Deepfake advert for an investment

Tap a line for the reasoning

  • Amounts paid in CHF 10'000–500'000 not covered

    Investment transactions and voluntary payments are excluded. Documented: CHF 10'000 and almost CHF 500'000.

Usually stays with youCHF 10'000–500'000

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.

Related questions

Who pays first? The order for cards, phishing and Twint

Three ways forward