Fraud in canton of Schwyz: Man loses 50,000 francs through confidence scheme
A man from the canton of Schwyz was deprived of nearly 50,000 francs in cash through deliberate deception. Two Austrian nationals were arrested.
Schwyz cantonal police arrest two suspects following offline fraud
As bote.ch reports, a man was approached by an initially unknown person during a personal meeting in early June and subsequently contacted repeatedly. The perpetrators deliberately built up a relationship of trust, subjected the man to emotional pressure and induced him to make several cash transfers. This was announced by the Schwyz cantonal police on Tuesday.
Within a week, the victim handed over nearly 50,000 francs in cash in total — always in person and without written agreements. According to police, the reasons given were "alleged financial hardship or urgent business matters". Such methods are typical of fraud offences in which perpetrators deliberately exploit interpersonal trust and put victims under psychological pressure.
Only critical enquiries from a financial institution and subsequent awareness-raising by the police enabled the victim to recognise the scheme. Further cash transfers were thereby prevented and significantly greater financial damage was averted.
Last Thursday, the Schwyz cantonal police, in cooperation with the Zurich cantonal police, arrested two suspects: a 24-year-old woman and a 23-year-old man, both Austrian nationals. They are suspected of deliberately manipulating the victim and inducing him to hand over cash. The public prosecutor's office of the canton of Schwyz is conducting further investigations together with the Schwyz cantonal police.
Source: Google News CH — Crime (de)