Fake Police Scams in Switzerland
Fraudsters impersonate cantonal police or federal authorities in Switzerland to extort CHF payments or steal e-banking credentials from Swiss residents.
Part of: Fake Police Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Fake-police telephone fraud is a persistent problem in Switzerland, where calls spoofing cantonal police or federal authority numbers claim victims are under investigation or that their bank accounts have been compromised. The NCSC and Schweizerische Kriminalprävention (SKP) run public campaigns about this fraud, yet complaints continue.
Elders are the primary targets, but working-age residents are also affected. The Swiss cultural tendency toward compliance with authority can delay the victim's decision to hang up and verify the call independently.
How this scam works on Switzerland
A call arrives with caller ID appearing to match a cantonal police number or the Bundespolizei. The caller identifies as a 'Leutnant' and claims the victim's name has appeared in a criminal investigation involving their bank, and that funds must be transferred to a 'secure federal account' to protect them.
A second caller posing as a bank representative corroborates the threat. Victims are guided to initiate an e-banking transfer or withdraw cash for handover to a 'plainclothes officer'.
In some variants, victims are told to purchase crypto or gold bars as part of the fake investigation.
Common red flags
- Unsolicited call claiming your bank is under criminal investigation
- Request to transfer CHF to a 'federal secure account' or hand cash to a visiting officer
- Caller insists you tell no one, including your bank or family
- Caller ID appears to match Swiss police — Swiss police never call for cash or transfers
- Request to purchase Bitcoin or gold as part of an investigation
- Caller threatens immediate arrest if you hang up
How to protect yourself
- Hang up immediately and call the cantonal police on their published non-emergency number
- Never transfer CHF or hand over cash on the instruction of a phone caller
- Discuss the call with a trusted family member before taking any action
- Contact NCSC at ncsc.admin.ch to report the call
- Alert elderly relatives about this fraud pattern
- Enable a daily transfer limit on your e-banking account as a safeguard
How to report it
- Call 117 (cantonal police emergency) from a different phone to verify the claim
- Report to NCSC at ncsc.admin.ch/ncsc/en/home/cyberbedrohungen/meldung.html
- File a Strafanzeige at your local Polizeiinspektion
Frequently asked questions
Will Swiss police ever call and ask me to transfer money?
No Swiss police authority — cantonal or federal — will ever call you and request a bank transfer, cash handover, or cryptocurrency purchase. Such requests are always fraudulent.