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.
University students in Switzerland join Gaza protest wave
This content was published on
Pro-Palestinian activists occupied university buildings in Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich on Tuesday, widening the protest movement in the Alpine nation.
TradeXBank to resume full operations after Sberbank Switzerland taken off sanctions list
This content was published on
TradeXBank, the former Swiss branch of Russia’s Sberbank, will be able to resume its dollar-denominated activities from the second half of this year.
Geneva decides not to remove controversial memorials
This content was published on
The city of Geneva has presented an action plan regarding a series of controversial local statues and monuments of historical figures linked to racism, colonialism or slavery.
University of Lausanne calls for end to pro-Palestine sit-in
This content was published on
The pro-Palestinian occupation continues at the University of Lausanne (UNIL). On Monday evening, a group of students refused to agree to the deadline set by the rectorate.
Ukraine peace conference should include Russia, says Chinese ambassador
This content was published on
China supports a peace conference on the Ukraine war that would see equal participation of all parties, says Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui.
This content was published on
A majority of Swiss citizens have open attitudes towards various infertility treatments, including even egg donation, which is currently prohibited.
Reports of Swiss cyber fraud almost doubled in six months
This content was published on
The head of the new Federal Office for Cybersecurity (FOC), Florian Schütz, has presented a new strategy after just over four months in 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.