The ad fraudsters' new method

Published 18 July 2024 at 13.18

Domestic. In recent days, reports have increased to the Stockholm police regarding crimes where fraudsters contact sellers on buying and selling sites and say they want the goods delivered to a box.

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– You can never say that now it is this criminal scheme that applies, but it changes every day, sometimes hour by hour. At the weekend and at the beginning of the week, there is an increase in reports where the fraudster wants the item for a box and conveys a link that goes to a fake website for a specific company, says Towe Hägg, crime prevention coordinator at the fraud section, for the police in the Stockholm region.

The fraudster contacts the seller and wants to buy the item that is posted on a buying and selling site. The fraud also says that the product will be delivered in a box and that there will be a link to the seller. But the link leads to a fake website where the seller is asked to hand over their account details and log in with BankID, or with their bank box.

– Most of the sellers who were contacted within Stockholm County had an inkling that nothing was right before the fraudster gained access to the seller's money, says Towe Hägg.

The criminal scheme is not unique to Stockholm County, but there are also reports from other parts of Sweden.

The company in question is aware that fraudsters use their company name, therefore the company has information on its website regarding security checks that can be carried out if you suspect that you are the victim of a fraud.

– Consider your BankID as a document of value in that it is the key that unlocks your bank account. Also, do not log in at the request of private individuals, says Towe Hägg.

During 2023, 27,141 advertising frauds were reported in Sweden and up to May 2024, 10,653 have been reported according to the National Fraud Center of the Swedish Police Agency.