Criminal networks recruit teenagers for theft and fraud

Criminal networks are recruiting teenagers through social media to carry out thefts and scams, often for little pay and at significant risk, SRF reports in a story by Carole Pantet for RTS.

Stolen luxury cars, robberies at gun shops and scams targeting older people have often involved young offenders recruited through Snapchat or TikTok. Experts call the practice the “Uberisation” of crime: criminal networks recruit young people online to commit offences on their behalf.

Recruitment adverts circulate in large numbers, according to the head of the Falso unit at Vaud cantonal police, who spoke anonymously to protect future investigations. The unit specialises in scams involving fake police officers and bank employees. The adverts promise high earnings for seemingly simple tasks, but young couriers typically receive between zero and 100 francs.

Defence lawyer Jonathan Rutschmann, who is handling several cases, said recruits are drawn in gradually. They may first be asked to keep watch between two streets, then to collect a bank card. As their responsibilities grow, it can become difficult to leave, he said, especially when they begin to question what they are doing.

In the past three months, western Switzerland has recorded more than 10 scams a day involving fake police officers or bank employees, as well as at least as many attempted offences. Fraudsters are using increasingly sophisticated methods, including artificial intelligence, to persuade victims to hand over codes and money to couriers sent to meet them. The value of goods stolen, mostly from older people, has already exceeded 20 million francs in 2026, four times the total for the previous year.

Authorities urge people never to give out credit-card codes over the phone and to call their bank or police using an official number if they are unsure. Neuchâtel police commander Sami Hafsi also warned against trusting a voice alone, saying artificial intelligence means people may need to change their habits.

In canton Vaud, 308 people have been arrested this year in connection with these cases. Those convicted face up to four years in prison. Rutschmann said young offenders risk losing apprenticeships, abandoning their education, losing their jobs and disrupting healthy routines.

The networks’ organisers remain difficult to identify. A federal task force was set up in May 2025 to find and arrest those behind luxury-car thefts and break-ins at gun shops, but couriers are still the ones most often arrested. About 500 people have been arrested since 2025, with an average age of around 21; some of the youngest were 14, said Vincent Bürgy, a spokesperson for the Federal Office of Police.