Depending on the distance your travel, Swiss public transport tickets can be expensive, so a possibility to pay less is appealing. And that is what scammers are counting on.
Zurich cantonal police have issued a warning about a fake Swiss national railway company (SBB) website, which looks eerily like the real one.
Cybercriminals use it to deceive travellers and steal their data during a fake ticket purchase.
“Clueless victims access the fraudulent website via a Google search or a phishing link received by email,” the police said. “While the website address differs slightly, the design, navigation elements, and functionality are, at first glance, almost identical to those of the official SBB website.”
Then, “on the fake platform, tickets are offered at a significantly lower price. Departure times, platform information, and routes appear plausible and correspond to official information. Travellers thus have the impression of purchasing a genuine ticket
To make the booking look even more legitimate, “the scammers offer a choice between a first-class or second-class ticket.”
And that’s when the problem begins.
Victims are redirected to a fraudulent payment page, where scammers ask for credit card details, including the expiry date and security code.
“This information is used to make fraudulent payments or commit other crimes,” law enforcement officials said.
Guidelines to follow
The Zurich Cantonal Police’s cybercrime division lists several common-sense measures that help protect against this type of scam:
- Type the official address directly into your browser’s address bar or use the official SBB app. Avoid accessing the site through Google search results.
- Check the full web address each time you visit and navigate to a different page, especially when making payments.
- Never click on links received by email, SMS, or other messages or websites, as they may be manipulated or visually misleading.
- If in doubt, do not share any personal data or payment information.
But what if you already fell prey to this scam?
If your data has already been stolen, “immediately inform your bank and block the affected credit or debit cards,” police said.
One of many
Unfortunately, this latest scam is one of many frequently perpetuated in Switzerland – some of them specifically targeting foreign residents.
As recently as this summer, for instance, authorities sounded the alarm over a growing number of fake employment contracts and forged documents which are being used to obtain residence permits in Switzerland.
There are also scams targeting immigrants, job seekers, and apartment hunters, among others:
READ MORE: The common scams foreigners in Switzerland need to be aware of
