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CRIME

Police appeal for witnesses after 66-year-old Swiss man attacked by dogs in Bern

The man was attacked by "several dogs," according to the cantonal police in Bern.

Published: 7 February 2019 12:22 CET
Police appeal for witnesses after 66-year-old Swiss man attacked by dogs in Bern
File photo: smereka/Depositphotos

Police in Bern have issued a request for information from potential witnesses who may have details on a dog attack that occurred in the Marzilistrasse in Bern on Monday February 4th, according to a police statement.

A 66-year-old Swiss man was bitten and injured by a pack of dogs shortly before 3pm on the street in the south of Bern, the Swiss capital.

According to the police's initial findings, the man was on the road between the Marzilistrasse and the Aareuferweg walk when approached near the beach volleyball fields of Marzilis by several dogs. The man was attacked and suffered several injuries but was able to check himself in to a nearby hospital. 

The statement did not specify what kind of dogs they were and if any people were also involved. 

Bern police added that one man was in the vicinity at the time and are asking him, and any other witnesses, to come forward with information by calling: +41 31 634 41 11.

In 2017, a woman out jogging in Yvorne in the canton of Vaud, suffered wounds to her legs and an arm after being set upon by two Boxer dogs. One of the dogs knocked the 50-year-old to the ground and attacked her as the second Boxer joined in.

READ ALSO: How to protect yourself against cow attacks

That time the woman was able to take refuge in her car parked nearby. She was later admitted to the CHUV hospital in Lausanne for treatment to her bites.

In that instance, police were able to trace the 70-year-old dog walker, who had fled the scene and claimed not to be the owner of the animals. 

READ MORE: Swiss railway worker killed by moving train in Ticino

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CRIME

‘Your permit is invalid’: How scammers in Switzerland target foreigners

Scores of foreign residents have received an email recently telling them their residency rights in Switzerland have been revoked.

Published: 26 April 2024 11:17 CEST
'Your permit is invalid': How scammers in Switzerland target foreigners

A number of foreign nationals, especially in the German-speaking part of the country, have received an official-looking letter, purportedly from the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) informing them that the Free Movement of People agreement between Switzerland and the EU has been nullified, and therefore “your residence permit is no longer valid.”

Faced with enquiries from concerned recipients, SEM responded that the letter is fake, advising recipients to ignore it and, above all, not to click on the QR code on the top.

“Fake letters from the SEM have been circulating since the beginning of this week,” the immigration authority said on its website as well as on X (formerly Twitter).  

“The letter has no impact on the recipient’s  residence status,” SEM added.

Fake jobs, real threats

However, this is only the latest scam perpetrated in the name of SEM.

There have been others in the past.

For instance, many foreigners have also received emails from addresses swissimmigration@consultant or eu_immigration@consultant, that pretend to be the Swiss immigration authority.

“In most cases, a fictitious job in the hotel industry is offered, with the senders demanding payment of 300 to 1,000 euros for a permit in Switzerland and for health and accident insurance,” SEM reported.

The first clue that this email doesn’t come from  SEM, which is part of Switzerland’s government, is that it is asking for payment in euros. If the scammers were smarter, they’d demand Swiss francs.

“These e-mails do not come from the SEM and should be considered as an attempt at fraud,” the agency said. 

Extortion attempt

And a few years ago, a number of foreigners received emails coming allegedly from SEM, Swiss border control authorities, or even the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol).

They threatened to revoke the victim’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.

Needless to say, no government authority would ever resort to blackmail or demand payment for such ‘services’.

So a good rule to remember (for foreigners and Swiss alike) is that if threats and pressure are involved, letters / emails / phone calls ( WhatsUp messages are more than likely scams.
 
READ ALSO: The common scams foreigners in Switzerland need to be aware of 

Don’t respond

SEM as well as police urge everyone contacted by scammers, by whatever means to:

  • Ignore these messages by hanging up the phone and / or deleting emails, moving them to the Spam folder
  • Never give out your credit card number or bank account information to people you don’t know
  • If you did give your card number, contact your credit card company immediately to have the card blocked. Likewise, if you gave out your banking details, get in touch with your bank.
  • In the event of threats of extortion attempts, consider filing a criminal complaint. You can search for police stations in your area on the Police website. 
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