Residents in one Swiss canton have been targeted by fake tax invoices ordering them to pay arrears and fines. And it’s not the only swindle people in Switzerland should be aware of.
Cantonal police in Vaud have sounded the alarm about a scam currently targeting taxpayers.
Many people have reported receiving fake invoices sent by mail, containing a QR code for a fraudulent account.
The letters, allegedly from the cantonal tax authorities, state that the recipient has not paid their 2024 taxes, and demands an immediate transfer of 5,000 francs, in addition to interest and administrative fees, for a total of 5,430 francs.
Police say that while the letter may look (at least to some victims), genuine, it is not.
One sure giveaway is that if you scan the QR code, you will see that the IBAN number and address is not that of the canton but of an unidentified entity.
Another clue: the taxpayer number cited on the letter is incorrect.
Police say any Vaud resident who has received this letter should disregard it.
Not the only tax-related scam in circulation
This is the latest but by no means the sole attempt to extort money under the pretext of taxes.
Several earlier attempts, as signalled by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) in 2024 and on January 27th, 2025, involved e-mails in the name of the Federal Tax Administration.
The recipients were informed that they have overpaid their previous year’s taxes and should provide their bank account information for full refund.
But the NCSC urge them not to.
“Please ignore these e-mails, do not reply to them, do not click on the link, do not scan the QR code, and do not enter any personal data on the phishing page,” the NCSC urged.
If in doubt about the legitimacy of any tax-related letters, contact your local tax office to check.
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Other scams are abundant in Switzerland as well
The Local regularly publishes articles about various phishing attempts.
One, from February 2025, warned the readers against falling for dubious rental offers, including such ruses as fake property listings and non-existing landlords.
READ ALSO: Six rental scams in Switzerland foreign residents need to avoid
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And there is more
Some schemes have even specifically targeted foreign residents.
At one time, more and more foreign nationals received emails with the senders swissimmigration@consultant or eu_immigration@consultant — all pretending to be a Swiss immigration authority.
“In most cases, a fictitious job in the hotel industry is offered, with the senders demanding a payment of 300 to 1,000 euros for a permit in Switzerland and for health and accident insurance,” the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) said.
The first clue that this email didn’t come from the SEM, which is a Swiss government authority, was that it was asking for payment in euros. If the scammers were smarter, they’d demand francs.
And scores of foreign residents also received an email telling them their residency rights in Switzerland had been revoked, and therefore “your residence permit is no longer valid.”
And then, there were also emails addressed to foreigner, which allegedly came from SEM, or else Swiss border authorities, or even the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol).
They threatened to revoke the recipient’s residence permit or even expel them from the country altogether if they didn’t pay a certain sum of money into an anonymous account.
READ ALSO: Foreigners in Switzerland warned to avoid new scam
