93-year-old in Wil protected from telephone fraud – 38-year-old Ukrainian arrested
The St. Gallen cantonal police arrested a 38-year-old Ukrainian on Thursday as a suspected money collector. The 93-year-old victim suffered no financial loss.
Arrest in Wil area following attempted bank employee fraud
Google News CH — Crime (de) reports on an attempted telephone fraud in the canton of St. Gallen, which ended with an arrest on Thursday afternoon, 3 September 2026.
On Wednesday afternoon, a 93-year-old man contacted the St. Gallen emergency and dispatch centre. He reported having been contacted by a person who claimed to be a security officer at a bank. The unknown caller demanded that he withdraw a larger sum of money and deposit it at a location to be determined the following day.
The St. Gallen cantonal police then launched an immediate investigation. On Thursday afternoon, a 38-year-old Ukrainian was stopped and arrested in the Wil area. He is suspected of having been involved in the fraud attempt as a money collector. The man had entered Switzerland as a tourist. The 93-year-old suffered no financial loss. At the direction of the St. Gallen cantonal prosecutor's office, the cantonal police are now investigating whether the arrested man is connected to further offences.
Increase in telephone fraud since August
The St. Gallen cantonal police have recorded a significant increase in telephone fraud cases since the beginning of August, in which money was actually handed over. Alone during this period, reports were filed in six cases. The total amount of the crimes is estimated at approximately 400,000 francs based on initial investigations.
Fraudsters frequently impersonate police officers, public prosecutors' office staff or law enforcement personnel, criminal police, or – as in the present case – bank employees. They preferentially target older people and attempt to defraud them of their assets by telephone.
Source: Google News CH — Crime (de)