Harry Kolb travel agency leaves clients stranded after cyberattack
On September 30, 2026, traveling consumers in Zurich faced severe financial losses after bookings made through the Zürcher Reisebüro Harry Kolb in Kilchberg ZH were found unpaid and unreserved upon arrival at international destinations. Managing director Harry Kolb confirmed that company accounts were compromised in a cyberattack, leaving at least four to five families stranded without accommodations or transport despite payments totaling thousands of francs.
Stolen Funds Leave Travelers Stranded Abroad
Helen Weber, 70, and her husband paid 8,500 Swiss francs in February for hotels, a rental car, and airport transfers for a June trip to Japan. Upon landing in Japan on June 7, the couple discovered that their ten-day vehicle rental for trips in Hokkaido had been canceled because the travel agency failed to settle the invoice. Local hotels had no record of their reservations, forcing the couple to reorganize and repurchase their entire itinerary out of pocket. When Weber set a payment deadline of September 23 to recover the funds, the travel agency missed it entirely, prompting her to prepare documentation for the ombudsman.
The situation mirrors a prior incident reported involving Luca Kunz, 43, and his friends, who paid 20,800 francs to the same Kilchberg agency only to arrive without valid flights or hotel bookings.
Managing Director Confirms Cyberattack and Missing Funds
Harry Kolb, the 78-year-old director of the travel agency, addressed the mounting allegations by stating that criminals gained unauthorized access to the company’s financial accounts. According to Kolb, approximately 2.5 million francs were stolen in the breach, leaving company accounts completely depleted. He stated that he has already filed a formal criminal complaint with the Zurich Cantonal Police (Kapo Zürich).
“All money is gone,” Kolb stated, while expressing deep regret for the affected travelers and noting that four to five families are currently impacted by the missing payments. While maintaining that he intends to reimburse those affected, Kolb emphasized that he feels like a victim of the cybercrime rather than the perpetrator of the failures.
Ongoing Fallout and Consumer Protection Response
As the Kantonspolizei Zürich investigates the cyberattack, impacted clients continue gathering paperwork to pursue claims through official mediation channels. The failure of the agency to honor refund deadlines has left consumers dependent on formal dispute resolution services.