Police suspect that at least 1000 young people have been defrauded for a total of several million kronor. The victims are mainly men aged 19-22 who were lured by promises of big wins.
- We want to warn others who may be tempted with seemingly easy money. It's a scam by an organized criminal network, says Police Superintendent Christian Berge in the Eastern Police District.
Contact via social media
The mode the police discovered is largely as follows: With TikTok, young men can watch videos of seemingly successful people with big money. They are told the money comes from betting on matches and is offered to members of Snapchat closed groups and to access betting tips that can multiply your effort. The groups are called "Oddztipz", "benjibra" and "Dennismax".
Over 1000 young people have been defrauded
Those lured then deposit between 1000 and 5000 kronor to gain access to their winnings. For some, it ends up after one small deposit. For others, it will be an expensive round dance with the perpetrators. They are encouraged to join bets on fixed matches that supporters say are 100 percent safe. To bet on fixed matches, they have to donate money to people linked to the criminal network. Many of them are tricked into transferring several hundred thousand kronor. Those who have been deceived receive feedback that they have won large sums, up to several million crowns, but are then informed that the money has stalled for various reasons. To get money into the account they "won", they are prompted to transfer another large sum.
They receive threats
When victims run out of money, they are forced to give the criminal network manager access to their accounts and online accounts. They then become co-creators of the scams themselves, laundering the money that the network can receive through the accounts. Several young men face serious threats about what could happen to them if they fail to pay or report it to the police. Many end up taking out consumer loans or borrowing from family and friends to pay off. As far as the police know, none of the victims were subjected to physical violence.
The stories the men tell have some differences, but what they have in common is as follows; the matches they bet on don't actually exist. And neither of them ever won.
Organized crime network
The victims live all over Norway. Police believe there is an extensive organized crime network behind the scam, linked to several towns in the old Østfold. Most of the members of the network are known to the police from different circumstances. So far, 22 people have been charged with the case, and 4 are in custody.
“We suspect the fraud was used to fund everything from status symbols like expensive cars and watches to other criminal activities. We also know that the scam was used to launder money, says Berge.
The police have been investigating the network for a long time. To date, more than 100 hearings have been held in relation to the tipping fraud.
- The Eastern Police District has received additional funding to combat criminal networks and this extensive work is part of what we have been working on. Those who donate their money for this may put themselves in a difficult position in the foreseeable future. They risk entering the life phase with high debt, liquidity problems and credit challenges. We know these are the factors that make some vulnerable and we need to take them seriously, says Berge.
Have you or someone you know been affected by the scam?
Contact the police on 02800 or [email protected].
Source: Politi
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