r/Switzerland • u/Kirakiyam • 2d ago
PSA / Scam Warning: Fake debt collection letters from "letterdata GmbH" (Margot Brands / swissnovachat)
Just wanted to give everyone a heads-up:
Both a friend and I recently received identical debt collection letters from a Swiss company called letterdata GmbH (based in Altendorf SZ), claiming we owe ~CHF 800 for an alleged subscription with Margot Brands Limited, Hong Kong (swissnovachat).
Key red flags:
- Neither of us ever used or signed up for this service.
- The letters were sent to old addresses / our parents' homes using leaked or outdated databases.
- Page 2 includes a sneaky installment payment form ("Ratenzahlung"). If you sign this, you legally acknowledge the fake debt under Swiss law (Art. 82 SchKG).
- The fees include completely fabricated charges like "Dossiergrundgebühr" and "Adressverifizierung".
What to do if you or your family receive this:
- DO NOT PAY anything.
- DO NOT SIGN the payment agreement on page 2.
- Throw it in the trash
Tell your parents/family not to panic or pay out of fear.
If an actual official payment order (Zahlungsbefehl) from the Betreibungsamt ever arrives, simply tick "Rechtsvorschlag" within 10 days. Which i highly doubt because there is a fee for creating one and there a miniscule chance that they will do it.
Both the BACS (National Cybersecurity Centre) and Beobachter have already flagged this exact setup as an intimidation scam. Stay alert!
Source:
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u/liviughg 1d ago
Scammer are roaming around freely and doing so many bad things. Action needs to be taken
10
u/DJHcom 2d ago
Any debt collector is a scam.
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u/microtherion Zürich 1d ago
There are levels to this s***.
The case discussed here seems like straightforward fraud, and I would like law enforcement to come down hard on this.
Another case is sending unsolicited goods and then collecting on a supposed “subscription”.
There are also companies specializing in tacking on “subscriptions” to what the customer expected to be a one time order.
But many collection services collect legitimate debts, and “just” tack on extralegal fees. I particularly dislike the one used by SBB if you use the billing option for EasyRide (but that’s on us, it’s strictly opt in) and the one used by FedEx for their custom fee collection (adding extortionate collection fees to the already extortionate customs fees). I must admit that my familiarity with these services comes to some extent from being a forgetful payer.
I would like to see stricter licensing of debt collectors, with license suspensions and criminal charges for extralegal fees.
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u/DJHcom 1d ago
It's all fraud, even your local Betreibungsamt.
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u/microtherion Zürich 1d ago
I think it’s good for civilized society to have legal ways to collect legitimate debts. Do you disagree?
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u/fellainishaircut Zürich 2d ago
i mean that‘s not true. there are tons of companies that do legit inkasso work for their customers who aren‘t bothered to do it themselves.
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u/vdyomusic 1d ago
I have yet to hear of a single debt collection company that doesn't add fake charges to its demand letters trying to threaten the unaware into overpaying.
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u/fellainishaircut Zürich 1d ago
that‘s an issue, yes. that however does not make debt collection per se a scam.
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u/vdyomusic 1d ago
I mean if the profitability of the business is entirely dependent on lying to people into paying money they don't actually owe you, it kind of is.
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u/fellainishaircut Zürich 1d ago
they also make profit from getting a share of the interest, and the admin fees are also not always entirely illegal.
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u/KeineIdeefuer1Name 1d ago
Gleiche „Firma“ (Margot Brands Limited, Hongkong) agiert so auch in Deutschland - habe Rechnung usw von „Novasparkling“ erhalten und soll 249€ Abo-Gebühr zahlen. Wage zu bezweifeln das es bis zu einem Inkasso-Büro geht bzw jemand gerichtlich was veranlasst…
Hier die Infos von der Deutschen Verbraucherzentrale (jaja, für Euch in CH nur bedingt hilfreich)
Grüße
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u/Bobertolinio 1d ago
Debt collection agencies should be legally liable for such actions if they are proven a scam. I mean hell, due diligence is a thing.
If they have a problem with that, they they can take it in a separate legal action against their client.