Man defrauded of tens of thousands of kroner in Mo i Rana, Norway by cryptocurrency scam featuring Magnus Carlsen

A 68-year-old man from Mo i Rana, Norway was defrauded of tens of thousands of kroner after clicking on a fraudulent advertisement promoting cryptocurrency investment featuring renowned chess player Magnus Carlsen. The victim, Per Inge Holmen, was convinced to invest 30,000 kroner and allowed the scammer to take control of his computer to demonstrate how he could track investment values.

Over the course of two months, Holmen discovered that 12,000 kroner had mysteriously vanished from his account and later, his account was drained of additional funds. In 2023, Norwegian bank customers faced attempted fraud amounting to three billion kroner, with banks managing to stop the majority.

Holmen became involved after viewing an ad that appeared as a news report. He initially believed it was a legitimate opportunity because of Carlsen’s involvement. After deciding to invest 3,000 kroner, he was contacted by an individual who claimed to represent a Swiss company and encouraged him to invest further.

In subsequent weeks, Holmen transferred two more sums of 10,000 kroner each. Eventually, he realized he had lost 12,000 kroner. He reported the incidents to his bank, only to be informed that someone had misused his identity and that substantial sums were being transferred from his account.

Summer statistics from TietoEvry’s crime center indicated a spike in fraud cases, with 17,000 incidents recorded in July alone. These findings revealed a significant growth in scams targeting consumers as criminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated. It’s critical for victims to report fraud cases promptly to prevent further monetary loss.