Scammers trick woman out of €280 with stolen flower arrangement in Kouvola

A Kouvola woman was defrauded of €280 on Thursday after two scammers entered her home under the pretense of delivering a flower arrangement from a relative, local public broadcaster Yle reports.

The women arrived with an artificial flower arrangement, claiming it was a gift from a family member. They convinced the victim to hand over her PIN code using a card-reading device, then stole her bank card.

The victim later discovered the card was missing and that €280 had been withdrawn. She and her relative, Heidi Laatu, filed a police report the same day. Police are investigating the case as payment fraud.

Laatu later learned the flower arrangement itself had also been stolen. She warned others on social media, prompting reports of similar incidents in Kouvola.

Police confirmed they had not previously encountered this method but urged victims to report both successful and attempted scams. The victim’s bank will reimburse the stolen funds.