Fake surgeon calls Geneva woman, 85, and takes her cash and jewelry

A caller posing as a surgeon at the Geneva University Hospitals (HUG) told an 85-year-old Geneva woman that her daughter had been in a serious accident and needed surgery right away. She believed him. She ended up handing a courier several thousand francs in cash and her jewelry.

How the scam worked

The call began with a woman crying on the line. Then a man took over. He said the operation needed a very expensive piece of medical equipment and that payment was due immediately. The woman first tried to withdraw the money from her bank but could not. A supposed courier then came to her home, and she gave him the cash and jewelry. The whole story was made up.

Geneva police say scams like this are on the rise and often target older people. The callers claim a relative is in mortal danger and that only immediate payment can save them. The time pressure is meant to stop victims from checking the story or calling family.

The same trick elsewhere

Similar attempts were reported recently in the canton of Vaud, where scammers posed as doctors at the University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV). The hospital issued a warning. In 2023, the University Hospital of Zurich warned about criminals who posed as hospital doctors and demanded money for supposedly life-saving treatment.

The reports do not say whether anyone has been caught, how the callers found their targets, or the exact amount taken. The advice is simple. If a call says a relative is in danger and money is needed now, hang up and call that person or family directly before paying anything.