Fraud help in Switzerland: take the first steps
An altered invoice, fraudulent investment approach or impersonated business contact can leave you unsure where to turn. This fraud help guide for Switzerland brings together practical steps and official resources so you can decide whom to contact and what information to prepare.
Start with the most immediate risk. If money or bank access is involved, contact your bank promptly. Keep the original messages and documents, and write down what happened while it is fresh in your mind. You can ask for help before you have gathered every piece of evidence.
Use the right reporting service
Cantonal or local police handle criminal complaints. The NCSC receives cyber-incident reports, while banks address immediate account and payment risks. These are separate steps, and more than one may be necessary. Start with the Swiss National Cyber Security Centre, then follow the relevant sections below for banking, identity protection and consumer complaints. Keep copies of reports and reference numbers so you can follow up consistently.
Check suspicious letters and payment requests
A real company name, familiar logo or official-looking document is not enough to establish authenticity. Read our guide to company letterhead security and impersonation scams, and learn how secure business communication can help organisations make correspondence easier to verify.
Contact the claimed sender through details you find independently before taking further action. Be cautious of unsolicited recovery offers that demand an advance payment or promise guaranteed results. For incidents involving another jurisdiction, visit the country-by-country Fraud Help directory.
1. Stop Further Losses
For urgent police assistance in Switzerland, call 117. The European emergency number 112 is also available.
Stop communicating with the suspected scammer and do not send more money. Contact your bank immediately if money, card details or account access are involved. Save messages, payment records and suspicious documents. If someone has remote access to your device, disconnect it from the internet and contact your bank from another trusted device.
2. Contact Your Bank or Payment Provider
Use your bank’s official app or a trusted telephone number. Explain whether a payment was unauthorised or you were deceived into approving it. Ask about securing cards and online banking, tracing transactions and any available recall or dispute process. Keep a written record of your notification and the bank’s response. Do not send money to a caller’s supposed “safe account”. Recovery depends on the circumstances and is not guaranteed.
Swiss NCSC guidance advises contacting the bank immediately after a fraudulent payment because it may still be possible to stop it. If you dispute the bank’s handling of the case, request its written complaint process and information about the appropriate mediation route.
3. Report the Fraud to Police
Contact your cantonal or local police to report suspected fraud. Suisse ePolice provides a way to locate police services and access available online services; check whether your incident and canton qualify for an online report. If not, contact a police station directly.
Prepare a short timeline, payment records, recipient account details, original messages, website addresses and copies of suspicious documents. Explain how the contact began and what money or information you shared. Keep the complaint reference and any instructions for providing additional evidence.
A report to the NCSC is separate from a criminal complaint. Ask the police about any time-sensitive steps relevant to your case.
4. Report Cybercrime and Online Fraud
Use the reporting route linked from the official National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) website to report a cyber incident or attempted online scam. These reports help the centre identify threats and trends.
If you lost money or suspect a crime, also contact cantonal or local police. Do not treat an NCSC submission as a criminal complaint.
Preserve suspicious emails, URLs, screenshots, account names and payment references. Secure affected accounts and notify the platform or service provider. For urgent financial risks, contact your bank first rather than waiting for an online-report response.
5. Protect Your Identity
Report suspected criminal misuse of your identity to the police, including fraudulent credit applications, contracts or accounts.
Notify every bank, lender, telecom provider or online platform where your identity was misused. Dispute unfamiliar accounts or debts in writing and keep the replies. Change compromised passwords from a trusted device, secure your email first and enable two-factor authentication. If an identity document is lost or stolen, contact its issuing authority about reporting, blocking or replacement.
Use official contact details when sending supporting documents, and share only the information the receiving organisation requires.
6. Protect Your Credit
ZEK provides a process to request information about entries held in its credit-information database. Start with its official borrower FAQ: https://www.zek.ch/de-ch/kredit-leasingnehmer/faq
If an entry appears wrong, ZEK recommends contacting the reporting institution shown in your extract to request investigation and correction. Its information page explains how to dispute incorrect entries: https://www.zek.ch/de-ch/kredit-leasingnehmer/loschung-falscher-daten
A ZEK extract is not a universal credit freeze or a complete list of every account. Continue monitoring statements and correspondence for other signs of identity misuse.
7. Consumer-Protection Resources
SECO accepts complaints about unfair commercial practices through its official reporting route: https://www.seco.admin.ch/fr/deposer-une-reclamation-pour-pratique-deloyale
SECO’s intervention concerns collective interests. It cannot pursue an individual victim’s compensation claim on their behalf. If you need personal recovery or compensation, ask an appropriate adviser about the available civil or dispute-resolution route.
Report suspected crimes separately to police and notify the marketplace or seller platform where relevant.
8. Employment and Immigration Fraud
Verify the employer through independently sourced contact details. Keep the job advertisement, offer letter, recruiter messages and payment requests. Report fraudulent adverts to the hosting platform. If you paid money or shared identity documents, contact your bank and police and follow the identity-protection steps above. For immigration claims, confirm the procedure and official fees with the responsible authority or consulate; a professional-looking letter does not prove that it is genuine.
Official Contacts and Telephone Numbers
Police emergency in Switzerland: 117.
European emergency number: 112.
Police services and station information: https://www.suisse-epolice.ch/
National Cyber Security Centre: https://www.ncsc.admin.ch/ncsc/en/home.html
SECO unfair commercial practices complaints: https://www.seco.admin.ch/fr/deposer-une-reclamation-pour-pratique-deloyale
ZEK credit-data enquiries: https://www.zek.ch/de-ch/kredit-leasingnehmer/faq
Report the Fraud
Cantonal or local police for criminal complaints; National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) for cyber-incident reports
Official Sources
Received a suspicious business document?
Check whether a document issued through VerifiableLetter is authentic.
Important: This guide provides general information, not legal, financial or emergency advice. Procedures and contact details can change. Confirm requirements with the relevant authority. Reporting does not guarantee investigation, reimbursement or recovery.