Home HomeSwedenLivingWorld world_2_fill WorldBusiness BusinessSports sports-soccer SportsEntertainmentEntertain

50 million fraud calls stopped this year

Telephone fraudsters deceive Swedes for billions. Only this year, Telenor and Telia have prevented 50 million calls from criminals from reaching their destination - equivalent to over three attempts per second. The operators have a crucial role in stopping this, says Lotta Mauritzson at the police's fraud center.

» Updated: 16 July 2024, 13:48

» Published: 15 July 2024

50 million fraud calls stopped this year
Photo: Caisa Rasmussen/TT

Scammers are swindling Swedes for billions. Only this year, Telenor and Telia have blocked 50 million calls from criminals from reaching their targets - equivalent to over three attempts per second.

Operators have a crucial role in stopping this, says Lotta Mauritzson at the police's fraud center.

Last year, 29,000 phone scams were reported to the police, a 36 percent increase from 2022. The criminal gains from the reported crimes amounted to 700 million kronor. This year, the police say that the scams have slowed down.

However, no decrease in appetite for stolen savings is noticeable among the security departments of telecommunications operators - quite the opposite.

According to Telia, the company blocked 30 million calls from criminals from reaching their targets during the first six months of the year. This is compared to 33 million calls during the entire 2023.

Even Telenor notes a record number of blocked calls, 19.5 million so far this year compared to 11.4 million during the entire previous year - although a new measurement method makes it difficult to compare.

New methods

At Telia, spoofing - where numbers are manipulated to make it appear as if it is, for example, a bank calling or sending an SMS - accounts for 11 of the 30 million blocked calls. The rest are so-called Wangiri calls, where criminals ring up from unknown international numbers with the intention of getting the victim to call back at a high cost.

The record number is attributed to a new solution for blocking "spoofed" mobile numbers.

It could be that the telecommunications operators have an impact on the fact that we see that it has slowed down a bit this year, says Lotta Mauritzson at the police's national fraud center.

Regardless of whether you are a victim of a completed phone scam or quickly hang up the call, she advises reporting it to the police.

We need to know what citizens are exposed to, so we need information both about attempts and completed crimes.

The threats are increasing

A common modus operandi among scammers is to put the victim in a stressful situation. This can, for example, involve an unpaid invoice or the need to quickly stop a ongoing scam on your account.

The goal is always to get you to move money or approve transactions. You should never use your bank ID when you're called. If you get a bad feeling in your stomach, which many do, you should just hang up the phone. Then you can call the bank and check, says Lotta Mauritzson.

As the obstacles become more effective, scammers are finding new ways to approach their victims.

We see today that people are starting to use more threats in a different way than they did earlier. So there is a risk that it will become more physical.

Spoofing involves the sender manipulating their foreign number to make it appear as if it is coming from a reliable source - for example, a Swedish bank, company or private individual. In this way, the recipient is lured into answering the call or opening a message.

Scammers then try to use social manipulation to get sensitive information or get you to use bank services such as bank ID.

Wangiri is a method where criminals call from unknown international numbers with a signal to get you to call back, which can result in a high cost.

Tips for avoiding being scammed:

1. Do not call back missed calls from unknown foreign numbers

2. Be cautious with open Wi-Fi networks and what you share when connected

3. Never share sensitive information such as credit card numbers, passwords or bank ID codes

4. Have complex passwords, change them often and activate two-factor verification

5. Protect your mobile and tablet against viruses, Trojan horses, spyware and online thieves

Source: Telia

Tags
TTT
By TTThis article has been altered and translated by Sweden Herald

More news

The Renmark Committee is Dissolved Following Criticism
1 MIN READ

The Renmark Committee is Dissolved Following Criticism

Kristersson skips the climate summit
1 MIN READ

Kristersson skips the climate summit

Audit: Kinberg Batra's severance package not incorrect
1 MIN READ

Audit: Kinberg Batra's severance package not incorrect

Trapped under a work machine – taken to hospital
1 MIN READ

Trapped under a work machine – taken to hospital

Deadly Synthetic Opioids Classified as Narcotics
2 MIN READ

Deadly Synthetic Opioids Classified as Narcotics

Dropped investigation against Jomshof for hate crime
1 MIN READ

Dropped investigation against Jomshof for hate crime

The Government Extends Border Control
1 MIN READ

The Government Extends Border Control

Swedes arrested for terrorist crimes in Copenhagen
2 MIN READ

Swedes arrested for terrorist crimes in Copenhagen

Two students stabbed at school in Hallsberg
2 MIN READ

Two students stabbed at school in Hallsberg

Unannounced visits, a new weapon against benefit fraud
2 MIN READ

Unannounced visits, a new weapon against benefit fraud

16-year-old convicted of murder plan in Denmark
2 MIN READ

16-year-old convicted of murder plan in Denmark

Social Democrats' demands on Kristersson: EU plan for Ukraine support
2 MIN READ

Social Democrats' demands on Kristersson: EU plan for Ukraine support

Suspects Released After School Operation
1 MIN READ

Suspects Released After School Operation

The Verdict: Cannabis in the Blood of Pastry Poisoning Victims
1 MIN READ

The Verdict: Cannabis in the Blood of Pastry Poisoning Victims

The Kumla hackers gained access to "almost everything"
2 MIN READ

The Kumla hackers gained access to "almost everything"

Criminal got job as social worker
1 MIN READ

Criminal got job as social worker

Woman dies after being hit by a car in Västerås
1 MIN READ

Woman dies after being hit by a car in Västerås

Voluntary for Municipalities to Employ Doctors
1 MIN READ

Voluntary for Municipalities to Employ Doctors

In Malmö, we commemorate Kristallnacht
1 MIN READ

In Malmö, we commemorate Kristallnacht

The gap is increasing – more women than men continue to study
1 MIN READ

The gap is increasing – more women than men continue to study