Man suspected of orchestrating large-scale phishing operation in Finland

Police in Southwest Finland have concluded an investigation into a large-scale phishing operation, with a man under 30 from the Turku region suspected of 26 serious offenses, Yle reports.

In summer 2025, phishing messages were sent to 91,000 Finnish mobile numbers under the name MobilePay, according to a police statement. The links in these messages directed recipients to phishing sites, where collected data allowed the perpetrators to gain control of victims’ payment methods.

Investigators allege the man organized the mass phishing campaign and recruited six other men from Southwest Finland into the criminal activity. He is also suspected of involvement in other fraud-related crimes.

In total, the primary suspect faces 21 counts of aggravated payment fraud, three counts of aggravated fraud, and two attempted aggravated frauds. The six recruited men are each suspected of aggravated money laundering. All victims were private individuals, with the suspects obtaining over €177,000 through the crimes.

Authorities have recovered approximately €55,000 of the stolen funds from domestic and foreign financial institutions as well as online stores, said Valtteri Kemppi, the lead investigator and detective chief inspector at Southwest Finland Police Department.

Police remind the public not to authenticate via links in messages or share payment details over the phone. Legitimate entities will never request bank credentials or ask for money transfers.