From Philippine text traps to fake Galaxus e-mails, these are the common scams of 2025

Daniel Borchers

26.11.2025

Translation: Katherine Martin

Black Friday’s just around the corner – and experience tells us that an increasing number of digital newbies are shopping online. I asked Galaxus’s resident expert, Fraud Analyst Flavio von Rickenbach, what customers should be aware of.

What has 2025 been like for you? What trends have you seen emerge?
Flavio: Firstly, we recorded more cases of fraud originating from classified ad platforms. Unlike what you might expect, those scammers pose as potential buyers instead of sellers. The perpetrators lure their victims onto fake parcel service or payment provider websites (article in German), steal their payment details, then try to use them to place orders with us.

We’re also seeing an increase in account hacking at the moment. To be clear, it’s not Digitec Galaxus that’s being hacked, it’s our customers’ e-mail accounts. If a customer doesn’t have two-factor authentication (2FA) enabled, hackers can unfortunately gain access to their Galaxus account in addition to their e-mails.

What can customers do to shield themselves against scammers?
We’ve repeatedly stressed how important it is to enable 2FA and be vigilant. The main thing is to have 2FA activated on any accounts where it’s available. However, it’s also crucial that you don’t give the codes to anyone else or confirm any dubious authentication requests in a moment of absent-mindedness. You should take care when checking requests from banks, credit cards, logins and payment service providers.

Do you have any special advice for Black Friday and Christmas?
Like I said, stay vigilant and be sceptical. Scammers know that loads of parcels are ordered on Black Friday. Chances are high that their «Your parcel could not be delivered» phishing texts will reach people on the lookout for a delivery. With this in mind, you should always check an e-mail sender’s domain. Fraudsters have been creative on this in the past, using addresses such as «Kundendienst@galaxusschweiz.ch» to appear legit. When it comes to text messages, scammers are sometimes given away by the number having a foreign area code, for example from the Philippines. If in doubt, don’t click on links in e-mails or text messages – go to the official websites.

The same goes for too-good-to-be-true special offers. As much as we like our customers and try to offer them the best prices, we won’t be giving away any free iPhones on Black Friday. In cases like these, it’s always worth checking the seller’s website first. If you don’t see the deal there, it’s highly likely to be a scam.

Thank you!

Do you feel protected from scammers when you’re shopping online? Or have you been the victim of internet fraud before?

Daniel Borchers

Senior Communications Manager

Daniel.Borchers@galaxus.de

A soft spot for good series, loud music, science fiction and (second division) football. As PR Manager, I am available to answer journalists' questions about Galaxus and honest e-commerce.

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