Swiss state-owned companies targeted by phishing scams

The most recent emails sent to be more elaborate than the ones sent to PostFinance customers back in 2004 as shown in this archive picture. Keystone / Martial Trezzini

Swiss Post and the national railway operator have warned their clients about fake emails asking for personal passwords, credit card numbers or cash payments.

The two companies posted information on their websites asking customers to avoid opening the e-mails and to delete the suspicious messages from their inbox.

Both Swiss PostExternal link and Swiss Federal Railways (on the personalised SwissPassExternal link website) said they had received reports of an “increasing number” of attempts at fraud on the internet over the past few days.

They said they were cooperating closely with the government’s Reporting and Analysis Centre for Information Assurance (MELANIExternal link). It is part of efforts to boost cybersecurity and combat computer fraud.

Researchers also noted a considerable increase in cases of internet fraud in the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic.

Creative criminals have been trying to trick people out of their money in online scams, also by stealing personal information.

The number of cyberattacks reported in Switzerland during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic was up to three times higher than normal.