Faroese woman charged with fraud in Norway after Danish conviction

A 58-year-old Faroese woman already serving a prison sentence in Denmark for defrauding an elderly victim of 10 million Danish kroner has now been formally charged in Norway with aggravated fraud and impersonating a police officer, Norwegian prosecutors confirmed Friday.

Cristina Matras, a trained nurse, was convicted in Denmark in November 2024 for swindling an elderly man out of 10 million kroner and attempting to defraud others of an additional 37 million kroner, according to a TV2 Danmark investigation titled The Fake Police Commissioner. She was arrested in March 2025 and sentenced to four and a half years in prison.

Norwegian authorities allege Matras targeted a 76-year-old woman in Norway, posing as an Interpol officer and convincing the victim that her bank account had been hacked. The scam cost the elderly woman at least 2.3 million Norwegian kroner, prosecutors stated in the indictment.

The fraud began when the victim received calls and a home visit from individuals claiming to be Norwegian police and Interpol officials. Matras allegedly persuaded the woman that cooperation was necessary to recover her funds.

Investigators later traced the purchase of six large quantities of Nøtte, a Norwegian hazelnut chocolate spread, to Matras—transactions that linked her to the victim. During questioning in Molde District Court, Matras admitted to enjoying the product but denied wrongdoing, claiming everyone in court had taken note of her preference. She also confirmed visiting the victim’s home and accompanying her on a trip to Turkey.

Prosecutors further allege Matras pressured the elderly woman into secretly purchasing a property in Turkey without consulting family or friends. The charges include deprivation of liberty due to the coercive nature of the deception.

Norwegian prosecutors are seeking a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence. The trial is ongoing in Molde.