A new Økokrim report shows that 2022 saw an increase in the number of scams where perpetrators impersonate police officers or bank employees. The victims are often older women, and the amounts are large.
Fraudsters call and pretend to be police or bank employees. They use "spoofing", which means that the scammers themselves choose the number to be seen.
Økokrim's report shows that victims are being deceived on average around NOK 200, but isolated cases of fraud worth over NOK 1 million have been reported.
Some scam victims were afraid to contact the police during the investigation for fear of being scammed again. In addition, such frauds can affect trust in public institutions and in the government apparatus in general.
– We are afraid that in result of such frauds people may have less trust in the police and authorities. We have a strong society based on trust, which depends on society being sure that authority and power are exercised by entities that can be trusted, says Lone C. Pettersen, director of the intelligence and prevention department at Økokrim.
Perpetrators use a large number of so-called money mules. That is, people who transfer money for others, where the transfer actually goes to criminal activity. This can also happen without the person transferring the money being aware. In this way, the deceived person becomes involved in the crime.
Money mules are often recruited through friends or through social media. Some also experience being stopped on the street and asked for help.
“The people who are recruited are often young or vulnerable people who do not understand what they are contributing to or the seriousness of what they are doing. Money mules have also been reported to perform their role under duress, after threats from scammers, says Pettersen.
If you suspect you have been a victim of fraud, we recommend that you contact your bank as soon as possible and report it to the police.
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Source: Økokrim
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