Spam, phishing and Internet fraud

On this page:
How to detect, prevent and report e-mails such as spam and phishing mails as well as Internet fraud. The latest incidents, spam filter and first aid.

Detecting and preventing fraud

Anyone who uses the Internet is faced with a range of dangers, including spam, phishing and viruses. It is often difficult to tell whether an e-mail, website or caller is genuine or directed by fraudsters. You need to stay vigilant and suspicious.

Protecting yourself

  • Use strong passwords(opens in new tab) and activate two-factor authentication
  • Update your apps and programs regularly (software/firmware updates)
  • Install professional antivirus software
  • When you receive e-mails, look out for fake senders, impersonal forms of address and spelling mistakes
  • Only click on links and attachments if you trust the sender
  • Back up your photos and files to a cloud or on local storage media (backup)

With its wide range of security experts and security products, Swisscom is committed to protecting you from danger on a daily basis. As a premium member of iBarry.ch(opens in new tab), the platform for Internet security in Switzerland, Swisscom also tries to make users aware of the risks associated with the Internet.

The most common types of fraud

You may encounter fraud like this when using Swisscom services. Find out how to stop them and what we are doing to protect you.

Data theft involves an individual gaining authorised access to confidential or personal data, such as the customer account login details (Swisscom Login). This can be misused, for example to send spam e-mails via webmail.

What you can do:
Use the security check(opens in new tab) to find out if your Swisscom Login password appears on appears on published password lists. Protect your account by activating two-factor authentication.10 tips for greater Internet security(opens in new tab)

What we are doing:
With our Internet Security and Identity Security products, you can enjoy all-round protection for your devices and your digital identity. 
We also protect your customer account by resetting your Swisscom Login and Bluewin e-mail passwords if we detect suspicious activity.

Unsolicited messages that arrive in your Bluewin mailbox are known as spam or junk. These e-mails are not generally from trustworthy sources. It’s not only e-mails; unsolicited calls also count as spam.

What you can do:
How to protect yourself from spam(opens in new tab)

What we are doing:
The Swisscom spam filter checks all inbound and outbound Bluewin e-mails and moves spam to the spam folder. The Callfilter is ideal for blocking spam calls on your landline or mobile phone.

To ensure that spam cannot be sent from your e-mail account, we block your Swisscom Login if we suspect that your account is being misused.

Phishing is the name given to fraudulent messages that attempt to elicit the recipient’s personal data, such as passwords or credit card details. The fraudsters gain the recipient’s trust by using a false sender known to the recipient. This might include a fake invoice or a marketing offer.

What you can do:

What we are doing:
Swisscom spam filter for Bluewin e-mail and Callfilter for landlines and mobile phones. In addition, Swisscom’s Internet Guard warns you about dangerous websites. This free protection is included in your subscription and is always active whenever you surf the Swisscom network.

Smishing (= “SMS” + “phishing”) uses text messages from fake senders to elicit sensitive information from the recipient. Fraudsters can send fake messages about a delivered parcel, a payment request or a prize win that appear to come from a genuine, trustworthy business, for example.

What we are doing:
Swisscom’s SMS filter(opens in new tab) checks incoming and outgoing SMS for harmful links and blocks unwanted messages every day. In addition, Swisscom’s Internet Guard warns you about dangerous websites. This free protection is included in your subscription and is always active whenever you surf the Swisscom network.

With this type of fraud, the caller or e-mail sender manipulates the technology to show a known number or address. The faked, but authentic-looking identity tricks the recipient into disclosing personal data to the fraudsters.

What you can do:

What we are doing:
The free Callfilter for fixed-line and mobile phones checks incoming telephone numbers and blocks around 200,000 unwanted calls every day.

Using fake websites, fraudsters can attempt to gain access to your online accounts to cause financial loss or data theft.

What you can do:
Analyse website content on virustotal.com(opens in new tab).

Beware of suspicious features:

  • URL does not fit with content
  • Spelling mistakes
  • Poor-quality images
  • A lot of advertising and pop-ups
  • Dubious reviews by celebrities

What we are doing:
Swisscom’s Internet Guard warns about dangerous websites. This free protection is included in your subscription and is always active whenever you surf using the Swisscom network. Our products such as Internet Security and Identity Security provide additional protection for your devices and your digital identity.

Just one click on a false link or e-mail attachment is all it takes to add malware surreptitiously onto a device. Once there, it can delete or change files, manipulate security settings or collect confidential data, without the knowledge of the device owner. It is therefore important to change all your passwords once the malware has been cleaned up.

What you can do:
How do I protect my computer from further attacks?(opens in new tab)

What we are doing:
Swisscom’s Internet Guard warns about dangerous websites. This free protection is included in your subscription and is always active whenever you surf using the Swisscom network. Our products such as Internet Security and Identity Security provide additional protection for your devices and your digital identity.

We protect your customer account from misuse after a malware infection by blocking your Internet access if we detect suspicious activity.

The Internet is full of dangers for children. Technical measures such as blocking or setting Internet times can help to protect them from unsuitable content, misuse of personal data and other risks. However, it is also crucially important that little ones learn to navigate the digital world carefully and responsibly.

What you can do:

What we are doing:
You can set up parental controls on smartphones, the Internet-Box and your TV. With the Family Manager from Internet Security, you can control the access your children have to apps and content.

CEO fraud(opens in new tab), hate speech, cyber grooming(opens in new tab), social engineering(opens in new tab), romance scams(opens in new tab): the list of Internet scams is constantly growing. You can find further information about this on iBarry.ch, the platform for Internet security.

Go to iBarry(opens in new tab)

Reporting spam, phishing and Internet fraud

Suspicious e-mails

You can forward spam or phishing mails in your inbox to spamreport@bluewin.ch.

Report e-mail(opens in new tab)

Suspicious calls

You can report calls by adding the number to the block list if you have activated the blocker for advertising calls.

Block number manually

Suspicious SMS

You can report phishing SMS to us using the form.

Report SMS (residential customers)Report SMS (business customers)

Suspicious websites

You can report a suspicious website or URL.

Report website

You can also report suspicious messages or Internet fraud to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).

To the web form(opens in new tab)

You can unblock incorrectly blocked numbers yourself in My Swisscom(opens in new tab) and the Swisscom Cockpit(opens in new tab).

Report safe websites that have been blocked by Internet Guard here.

If you have discovered a vulnerability on our website or with our products, you can report this via our Bug Bounty programme.

Report vulnerability

The free spam filter

Swisscom protects its customers from dishonest mass advertising using the spam filter for e-mails, the Callfilter for calls and the SMS filter(opens in new tab) for text messages. These services are free for Swisscom customers.

How the spam filter works

The spam filter checks all inbound and outbound e-mails for typical spam features, such as dangerous links. If an e-mail is suspicious or flagged as spam by multiple recipients, it is sent to the spam folder. You can activate or deactivate the spam filter at any time in My Swisscom(opens in new tab).

If your e-mail is sent to the recipient’s spam folder, it was probably classed as potential spam by the e-mail provider. Make sure that your e-mail does not contain any links, signatures or images that could be flagged up as spam.

If your e-mails are being classed as spam, try creating a new mail rather than editing it with the ‘reply’ or ‘forward’ functions. Otherwise, the previous e-mail communication will be included in the e-mail, making it more likely that your e-mail contains a typical spam element.

If multiple recipients flag a genuine newsletter as spam, it may be sent to the recipients’ spam folders. Genuine newsletter senders include an unsubscribe link at the foot of the e-mail or an address for requests to unsubscribe. You should unsubscribe this way if you no longer wish to receive a newsletter. If an e-mail is sent to your spam folder in error, you can mark it as “not spam” in Bluewin Webmail.

Spammail Screenshot

For recommendations and legal guidelines on sending of mass mailings and newsletters, see https://postmaster.bluewin.ch/(opens in new tab)

First aid after an attack

Have you fallen victim to a fraudster? Don’t panic – it can happen to anyone. 

Follow these steps:

  1. Change all the passwords for your online accounts (e.g. bank, insurance, e-mail etc.) from a different device.
  2. Save all important files, such as photos, videos or contacts, on an external storage medium (SD card or external hard drive).
  3. Reset your device fully to the factory settings.Mobile phone manual
  4. Install the software version and a manufacturer-recommended antivirus program if applicable. 

Cyber insurance can help if you suffer loss from a cyber attack.

Further assistance from Swisscom

Help from the Swisscom Community

Know more together: Our community with over 10,000 active users will be happy to support you.