Zurich police have warned that scammers claiming to be collecting funds for people caught up in the Ukraine war are using email solicitations and fraudulent websites to defraud donors.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/gw
Português
pt
Cuidado com os apelos de doação fraudulenta para ajudar os ucranianos, diz a polícia
The cybercrime unit saidExternal link on Saturday people should be wary of emails containing promises of money or investments allegedly coming from desperate wealthy Ukrainians. Scammers are also setting up websites that claim to be collecting money to help Ukrainian refugees and victims of the war.
Some perpetrators have even posed as Ukrainian hackers in an attempt to extort payments in cryptocurrencies. In an email shared by police, for example, hackers threaten to launch an attack on the victim’s website if a payment in cryptocurrencies “in support of Ukraine” is not made.
Police urged people to not respond to suspicious emails and to avoid making donations by credit card, transferring cryptocurrency funds or sending gift voucher codes, such as for Google Play.
To check if a donation website is legitimate, police recommend checking payment methods. If an IBAN (international bank account number) is offered, it should include a plausible payment purpose, such as the name of an association and purpose for the donation.
With Twint numbers for payment, people should first contact the organisation that is named to verify the purpose of the donation. The police also recommend checking the official Twint websiteExternal link to see if the organisation is listed before paying via a Twint QR code.
The war in Ukraine has prompted an outpouring of generosity in Switzerland. Earlier this month the independent charity Swiss Solidarity raised CHF82.6 million ($89.1 million) in a fundraising campaign for victims of the war. Tens of thousands of Swiss have also offered to put refugees from Ukraine up in their homes.
By Saturday the State Secretariat for Migration had registered 15,388 people arriving in Switzerland from the war-torn country.
Popular Stories
More
Multinational companies
Azeri fossil-fuel cash cow brings controversy to Switzerland
Beer sales in Switzerland watered down by bad weather
This content was published on
The past brewing year fell through in Switzerland, partly due to the bad weather. Beer sales shrank again. For the first time, per capita consumption fell below the 50 liter mark.
Compensation for Syrian after pregnant wife denied help on Swiss train
This content was published on
Switzerland’s Federal Court has partially upheld the appeal of a Syrian family being deported from Switzerland to Italy in 2014. The man now also receives compensation.
Swiss-EU negotiations: Cassis to meet Sefcovic in Bern
This content was published on
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis will meet the Vice-President of the EU Commission, Maros Sefcovic, in Bern on Wednesday.
Heavy snowfall in Switzerland causes traffic chaos and accidents
This content was published on
The heavy snowfall late on Thursday and during the night into Friday led to traffic chaos and many accidents in many regions of Switzerland.
Chimpanzee behaviours passed down through generations
This content was published on
Some of the complex behaviours of chimpanzees have been passed down and refined over generations. These include the combination of several tools for foraging.
More than 600,000 rounds of Swiss sniper ammunition reach Ukraine
This content was published on
Sniper ammunition from Swiss P Defence reached Ukraine via a Polish company in July 2023, reported SRF Investigativ on Thursday, citing official information.
Switzerland launches national digital inclusion alliance
This content was published on
The Swiss government launched the Swiss Digital Inclusion Alliance on Thursday with the goal of giving as many people as possible access to digital services.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss open their homes to Ukrainian refugees
This content was published on
We look at why and how host families in Switzerland are being “matched” with refugees, and in some cases finding each other.
Further Swiss donations and help pledged to Ukraine
This content was published on
After the announcement yesterday of an official package of CHF8 million, Swiss cantons, institutions and public have announced further support.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.