Children's accounts also cleaned out Family loses 22,000 francs through QR code fraud
A family fell victim to a scam in which criminals gained access to their bank accounts via a QR code. The bank does not consider itself responsible - the family is facing financial challenges.
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- Fraudsters have relieved a Swiss family of 22,000 francs through QR code fraud.
- Even the two daughters' savings accounts were emptied.
- The family is making the loss public to warn others.
A family from Switzerland fell victim to a sophisticated scam in which criminals gained access to their bank accounts via a QR code. Within a very short time, they lost 22,000 francs. The bank where the accounts were held does not consider itself responsible for compensating the loss, reports "20 Minuten".
The incident occurred shortly before Christmas when a woman tried to sell her children's old clothes via Facebook Marketplace. An interested party offered to transfer the amount of 37.50 francs via the online bank Revolut. As the woman was not familiar with this payment method, she was assisted by a supposed Revolut employee who instructed her over the phone to scan a QR code.
After she had scanned the QR code, she received a message about an incoming payment, which she confirmed several times. It later transpired that the fraudsters had withdrawn a total of CHF 22,000 from her accounts during this time. The bank informed her that the money had been transferred abroad and that the chances of a refund were slim.
Woman feels guilty
Cyber security expert Marc Ruef told "20 Minuten" that the QR code probably gave the fraudsters access to the woman's e-banking. Despite a complaint against unknown persons and the fact that the names and addresses of the fraudsters are known, the police were unable to help.
According to the newspaper report, the woman feels guilty and is angry with the bank, which she believes has a security breach. The family is now trying to make ends meet with the husband's remaining money and has already sold household items to pay bills.
What is particularly distressing for her is that her children's savings accounts have also been affected. She hopes to be able to warn others about this scam. The bank generally advises caution with unknown QR codes and suspicious calls. The woman is now particularly careful and avoids QR codes so as not to fall victim to another scam.
The editor wrote this article with the help of AI*.
