SRF has reported several times on companies like Yelo or Cato that followed a similar pattern. They faked entries in the telephone book or in the commercial register and collected money.
Why does this scam work? The question goes to Peter Fritsche from the SRF consumer magazine Espresso.
The crooks act perfidiously. The invoices and documents look pretty serious. Most companies are only supposed to briefly confirm something. Many SMEs who contact us have involuntarily canceled a subscription when they confirm and are receiving invoices and reminders for months.
What should you do in such a situation?
If you have already paid a bill, it becomes difficult. If anything, it’s worth reporting to the police. The scam is prohibited and is considered “unfair”. Reporting to the Federal Office of Economics (Seco) doesn’t hurt either. This requires one Complaint to a specific company.
An ad helps?
Unfortunately, a report rarely has consequences. The numbers from 2021 and 2022 from Seco, which are available to SRF, show: In 2022 there were six criminal orders or court judgments against registry sharks or address book fraudsters. In 2021 there were only two.
Why is it so difficult to catch fraudsters?
They keep disappearing and reappearing under new names. The addresses of the companies are also rarely real. These companies rarely respond to our questions.
The interview was conducted by Fabienne Huber.