Fraudulent fundraising: Pseudo-deafness convicted in Bern

On the morning of March 30, 2023, two young Romanians were outside in Loeb, Bern. They pretended to be deaf they paid for it Handicap Aid International (HI) collect – in reality they took money from the pockets of passers-by for their own purposes. The fake donation forms they were holding showed the HI logo and the Swiss flag.

Now she has Berne Public Prosecutor It found the two men, aged 19 and 22, guilty of fraud and violations of the Trademark Protection Act and the Arms Protection Act. They were fined 30 daily rates of 20 francs each, for a total of 600 francs. The fines were conditional, meaning they would only be paid if the two fraudsters committed further offenses in the next two years. However, they are required to pay a fee of 500 francs each, as evidenced by the fine order.

Relief organization suffers from image damage

Hi the last time was last April Against the sharp increase in fraudulent collections warned on her behalf. According to the association, the cantons of St. Gallen, Zurich and Bern were the most affected by the scam in the first quarter of 2023. HI points out that the organization does not collect cash on the street – this is not in line with their donation policy. If they are in public places, then only with information stands. Donations will only be accepted by bank transfer.

Hello, I deeply regret the scammers’ use of the association’s name. “These fraud cases not only damage the image and reputation, but also cause significant financial losses to the organization,” the association wrote in its press release.