Receiving text messages from debt collectors can never be fun, but now it has turned out that several messages claiming to be from debt collectors are fake. In the fraudulent text messages that were sent out, there are also threats of demands from the Crown Enforcement Agency.
Fraud is increasing like an avalanche in Sweden, and in recent times the notifications about the fraud have replaced each other. The number of reported fraud crimes increased by 21.9 percent in 2023 compared to 2022.
DON’T MISS: Hundreds of Swedes cheated on money – 255 reports
The police: “Manipulated to send money away himself”
Already last spring, the police went out in one press release and raised the alarm about the increasing crime profits related to fraud.
– Frauds that increase in both number and criminal profits are frauds through social manipulation. The victim is manipulated into sending money himself or doing something wrong, said the coordinator of the National Fraud Centre, Lotta Mauritzson when.
READ MORE: The warning: Several deceived by new scam email – are you one of them?
Lotta Mauritzson from the National Fraud Centre. Photo: Anders Wiklund/TT. Stress is a common approach for fraudsters
Authorities and companies issue various warnings about fraudsters from time to time, and the police have also issued their fair share of calls. The most recent was in early October, when the police received several reports about fake ads on the sites Facebook Marketplace and Blocket, among others.
“Fraudsters want to stress you into making quick and wrong decisions,” the police reminded in one posts when.
READ MORE: The police warn of popular websites: “Getting rid of money”
The new warning: SMS from “collection”
The tactic of trying to stress out their victims is recurring among the fraudsters. When you receive a text message with threats of demands from the Kronofogden, there are also few who do not get a rising pulse.
This week, the newspaper Råd og rön alerted that several of their readers had been exposed to fraud from the same sender.
“Messages that should appear to come from debt collection companies but are a scam are common,” writes the newspaper.
This time the sender is listed as ESS Inkasso. In fact, the company is not approved by the Financial Supervisory Authority and is missing from the authority’s list of approved companies to conduct debt collection.
DON’T MISS: The police’s sharp call: “Don’t trust anyone who…”
This is what the fraudulent text messages look like. Photo: Screenshot/Advice and findings.
In the SMS there are demands to pay unpaid bills and threats that the bills will be forwarded to the Kronofogden. The messages contain telephone numbers for what should be ESS Collection.
Case numbers and opening hours for customer service are also displayed, but these are fake.
Have you been the victim of a scam? Get in touch with [email protected].