Switzerland arrests cross‑border scammers targeting senior citizens

In early July, an 81‑year‑old man in Chur was contacted by someone claiming to be a bank security employee and was persuaded to hand over more than 100,000 Swiss francs in cash. Police recovered the money after a monitored hand‑over and arrested two couriers – a 21‑year‑old Kazakh and a 24‑year‑old Ukrainian – who had been used to transport the cash.

In a separate incident, a 75‑year‑old resident of Luzern responded to a TikTok advertisement promising easy earnings for reviewing videos. The scheme shifted to Telegram, where a false “advisor” convinced him to invest his earnings in cryptocurrency. After a series of additional payments, the victim lost around 11,000 euros (about 10,900 francs). Both cases highlight a wave of fraud aimed at elderly Swiss citizens, often using online platforms and foreign intermediaries, and have prompted police warnings about vigilance against such scams.