Beware of scam donation appeals to help Ukrainians, police say
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.
Federer-backed On boosts forecast after sneaker demand rises
This content was published on
Swiss footwear company On Holding AG posted strong first-quarter revenue, boosted by demand for its running shoes and new line of training apparel.
Michael Schumacher’s watches fetch CHF4 million at Swiss auction
This content was published on
Watches belonging to Formula 1 great Michael Schumacher sold for around CHF4 million ($4.41 million) at auction house Christie's in Geneva on Tuesday.
Macron will attend Swiss summit on Ukraine, says Zelensky
This content was published on
French President Emmanuel Macron will attend the peace conference on Ukraine at the Swiss Bürgenstock resort next month, according to Volodymyr Zelensky.
Top politician tells ‘corrupt’ Eurovision to stay away from Bern
This content was published on
A social media post by the president of Bern’s cantonal government critical of the Eurovision Song Contest has created waves and will be discussed in the cantonal parliament.
Swiss centre records over 200 victims of human trafficking
This content was published on
Last year 317 people took part in a protection programme run by the Specialist Unit for Trafficking in Women and Women’s Migration (FIZ) in German-speaking Switzerland.
This content was published on
The Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and partners are opening a field hospital in southern Gaza on Tuesday.
Lack of smartphone sustainability in Switzerland hits environment
This content was published on
Almost half of all Swiss citizens hang on to their old smartphones, tablets and laptops, according to the Federal Statistical Office.
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.