Warning about a scam "Psychics" put Zurich senior citizen under pressure with a flood of letters
One false promise - and suddenly the spookiness doesn't stop. A very elderly woman is targeted by unscrupulous fraudsters and inundated with letters. The case shows how perfidious and persistent such scams are.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Fraudsters inundate a senior citizen with dementia with letters promising winnings in exchange for money.
- Once she pays, the number of letters increases dramatically.
- Authorities warn and advise people to consistently ignore such scam letters and report them to the police.
A 90-year-old woman with dementia from the canton of Zurich has been receiving masses of dubious letters for months. The senders claim to be "clairvoyants" or "mystics" and promise money, happiness and health. They give themselves names such as "Master Aaron" or "Old Master Maccus".
They demand 50 francs for their alleged services - payable by reply envelope sent abroad. After the woman had transferred money once, the situation escalated: within six months, more than 150 further letters arrived, reports the SRF consumer magazine "Espresso".
Scam targets older people
Swiss Crime Prevention is aware of such cases. It strongly advises against responding to the letters or sending money. Anyone who has already paid should file a complaint and seek support from their personal environment. The scam targets older and single people in particular. Personal salutations and the reference to belonging to a "select circle" are intended to create trust and encourage secrecy.
Complete protection against such mailings is difficult. In principle, Swiss Post is obliged to deliver all letters. However, one option is to refuse to accept a letter, Swiss Post told "Espresso". Unopened letters can be returned with the note "Acceptance refused". It is even easier to simply ignore the letters and dispose of them.
