A Swiss elderly couple from the Emmental region has lost 40,000 Swiss francs after being defrauded by a dubious mattress company. Willy Schaller, 69 and his wife, who is physically impaired due to a stroke, became victims of an aggressive sales pitch in 2017. The couple was offered two substandard mattresses at a price of over 20,000 Swiss francs. When these mattresses broke after three years and they demanded a replacement, the company demanded another 20,000 Swiss francs without delivering the promised mattresses.
After filing a complaint and a private lawsuit, the family made no progress. The company went bankrupt, leaving Schaller with ruined dreams – without functional mattresses and empty pockets. “Now we have almost no money left. The mattress dealers have taken away my sleep. If these men show up, there’s only one thing to do: call the police immediately. Otherwise, you’ll lose your money” he said in an interview with Blick.
The sad story of the elderly couple touched many people in Switzerland. The wave of solidarity that followed unexpectedly brought help. Murat Yakin, the national coach of the Swiss football national team, heard about the incident and decided to help. Together with Ferit Avci, CEO of Swissform, they offered Schaller a customized bed system that would be tailored to his needs.
“How can you deceive an older person like this? Where is the respect, where is the humanity?” Avci was outraged by the behavior of the deceptive salesmen.
As part of this offer, Schaller and his wife would be driven to the factory in Schlieren, where a new bed would be made according to their needs.
Schaller was deeply moved by the support and said, “I am very happy about the solidarity. It is great that people are thinking of us and want to give us a bed.”
The offer included not only the delivery of a new bed, but also the chance to meet the national coach personally. Schaller said he looked forward to the conversation with Avci and that his wife would also accompany him.
This story has not only moved the elderly couple, but also the whole of Switzerland, showing how important it is to be there for each other in difficult times.
In Germany and Switzerland, older people are increasingly becoming victims of scams that specifically target their trust and willingness to help. The perpetrators use various methods to obtain the assets of the elderly.
Common scams:
Grandchild scam: Scammers impersonate grandchildren or relatives on the phone and create an emergency situation to obtain money. In Switzerland, a pensioner couple was defrauded of 410,000 Swiss francs in this way.
Fake police officers: Scammers call elderly people and claim that there have been break-ins in the area. They demand the surrender of cash or valuables for “safety”. In Augsburg, an 87-year-old woman successfully prevented a fraud attempt.
Shock calls: During the Corona pandemic, scammers impersonated hospital staff and claimed that a relative was seriously ill and needed expensive medication. In Saxony alone, 79 such cases were registered in 2020.
Cybercrime: With the increasing digitalization, online fraud cases are also on the rise. Phishing emails, fake websites and alleged virus warnings are used to obtain personal data and money.
In Switzerland, the damage caused by financial abuse of persons aged 55 and older has increased from 400 million Swiss francs per year to 675 million Swiss francs in the past five years. Almost 80 percent of this age group were confronted with a fraud attempt, about 20 percent fell victim to it.
Organizations like Pro Senectute and the Swiss Kriminalprävention set up awareness campaigns, information events and brochures to sensitize the elderly and their relatives to the topic. The police advise to be suspicious of suspicious calls, not to disclose personal information and to inform the police in case of doubt.
Protecting older people from fraud requires joint efforts from authorities, organizations and society. Awareness, caution and a strong social network are crucial to protect the elderly from financial losses.