Police issue warning over rising scams targeting individuals and businesses in Finland

Various scams have become a nearly daily nuisance for people, and the police have identified a new method employed by criminals. During this month alone, around 30 crime reports related to this technique have been filed with the police, amounting to more than €368,000 in attempted fraud. Among businesses, approximately ten reports have also been made.

The typical scam phone call unfolds as follows:
– “Hello, this is from a credit company. Have you applied for a loan?”
– “No.”
– “We have received a €5,000 loan application in your name. Do you have an account at Bank X?”
– “Yes, that is my bank.”
– “Just a moment, I’ll connect you to Bank X’s fraud department…”
– “This is Bank X’s security officer. Your information has been used to attempt several loans. Some applications have been approved. We need to close these applications, which can only be done with online banking credentials. Have you received a letter about this? Please provide your online banking user ID and password so we can stop these transactions.”

At this point, the police advise individuals to halt the conversation. In reality, the criminals are impersonating bank representatives to obtain the victim’s banking credentials and funds.

The police emphasize that individuals should never share their banking credentials. Genuine authorities do not request such information, as they can access data without requiring customer actions. If asked for online banking details over the phone, it is a clear sign of a scam.

Additionally, Terveystalo.com recently warned its customers about scams using their name. In these instances, fraudulent text messages prompt recipients to click on a link, which is part of a scam. Terveystalo never sends payment-related messages containing links and advises customers to manually enter their website address into their browser for security. The company is investigating the fraud messages in collaboration with authorities to ensure customer data remains secure.