Bern family loses 40,000 francs to phishing scammers after online marketplace deal

A Bern family lost 40,000 Swiss francs to phishing scammers after a transaction on the online marketplace Ricardo. The victim, a man with little online trading experience, posted an ad and was contacted by a buyer who directed him to a phishing link disguised as a payment confirmation. This allowed criminals to bypass two-factor authentication and drain the family's account. The money was transferred to Brussels, Germany, and Vienna. The bank denied liability, stating the victim authorized the transactions. The perpetrators are likely part of international criminal groups, making recovery difficult for Swiss authorities.