Swiss cantons launch operation against fake police scams

Scams involving fake police officers are the work of organised criminal groups, operating mainly from France. Keystone Pool Afp / Fabrice Coffrini

Cantons in Western Switzerland are launching a major crackdown on scams involving fake police officers and criminal networks, mainly based in France. More than 5,000 cases and CHF18 million ($22.5 million) stolen have been recorded since 2022 within their territory, despite numerous prevention campaigns.

The police forces in French-speaking Switzerland and the Federal Office of Police (fedpol) have decided to join forces “to track down the masterminds and target the perpetrators”, the cantons of Fribourg, Geneva, Jura, Neuchâtel, Vaud and Valais announced on Friday.

Investigations carried out to date indicate that these scams are the work of organised criminal groups, operating mainly from France. To tackle the problem, the Latin Conference of Heads of Criminal Investigation launched a joint operation in February, in close collaboration with fedpol.

Crime of ‘truly exceptional scale’

Simon Baechler, chief of the judicial police in canton Neuchâtel, is leading the operation.

‘This is a phenomenon of truly exceptional scale, even though it saw a dip in the middle of last year,” said Baechler. “Since then, it has been rising steadily. The number of cases is constantly increasing, and they are becoming more serious. That is why an exceptional response is needed, involving the launch of an inter-cantonal operation.”

In addition to inter-cantonal cooperation, the police forces are collaborating across borders. “We have been collaborating with France for some time now, and this cooperation has intensified further,” said the police chief. “It is a partnership that works well on various levels. We are actively engaging with our French partners to help them understand the scale of the problem, the need to take action against these criminals, and the importance of working together.”

‘Interchangeable pawns’

The operation has three objectives: to pool investigations into the people behind the crimes, to disrupt and deter accomplices operating on Swiss soil, and to step up prevention efforts. To recover their loot in Switzerland, criminal networks recruit what the cantons refer to as “couriers”.

These are mostly young adults, both men and women, mainly from France, but also from French-speaking Switzerland. They are recruited on social media with promises of “easy and quick” money. But behind the enticing rhetoric put out by the organisers lies a far more cynical reality.

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The couriers are “mere interchangeable pawns, paid far less than promised”, the cantons said. They are forced to hand over their own personal data to the organisers and may be subjected to threats or violence, or be reported to the police by the organisers themselves if their results are deemed insufficient.

Real legal consequences

The police in French-speaking Switzerland emphasise that these couriers bear primary criminal responsibility for committing particularly despicable offences targeting vulnerable victims. They naturally face legal consequences, including pre-trial detention and a criminal record.

The cantons emphasised that the identification rate is high. The police are therefore urging these young adults “to be vigilant, not to fall for these misleading adverts and the illusion of so-called easy money”.

Translated from French/sub-editing gw