Snapchat has become an increasingly common haunt for fraudsters.
Accounts are hacked and your “best friend” may suddenly ask you to swipe several thousand for an alleged Blocket find.
– I understand that you can go for it, because you see who gets in touch. That’s what makes it extra dangerous, says Jan Olsson, fraud expert at the police.
If your sister, boyfriend or best friend gets in touch with you on Snapchat and asks if you can quickly swipe a sum for something she bought on Blocket – would you have done it?
For many, the answer will probably be yes, because you know you will get your money back.
But now the police are warning about just this – fraudsters who hijack Snapchat accounts and invite the account’s close contacts to transfer money to an unknown number, with the promise of returning the money.
Usually it is a couple of thousand Swedish kroner.
– SEK 6,500 is said to be a common figure and that may sound like a lot. But if the sender is a faithful person, perhaps a brother or best friend, then the risk is high that you will actually swipe, says Jan Olsson, fraud expert.
“Goalkeepers” are believed to be behind it
According to Jan Olsson, these types of fraud are becoming more and more common, something that was Gothenburg Post first to report on.
– This is partly due to the fact that the social platforms did not exist before, but also because it is starting to spread how easy it is to actually succeed in similar frauds.
Who or what is behind the Snapchat scams is still unclear. But in many cases it seems to be about so-called “goalkeepers”, people who take responsibility for crimes for various reasons.
– Sometimes it’s the main perpetrator himself who thinks he can’t be caught, or maybe someone who is already going to enter and wants a little extra money for the house. It can also be about a person with a drug addiction or someone under threat, says Jan Olsson.
But he is sure that it is not about any foreign leagues.
– The most common is that it is Swedish criminals who are behind similar crimes.
Call your bank “fast as the eye can see”
The chances of getting the money back in these types of frauds are very small, according to the expert.
– But if you call your bank as fast as you can after you swish, then of course there is a chance that they can stop the transaction.
What are your best tips for avoiding this?
– Call the person to check that it is correct. You should always be healthy suspicious when someone on the other side needs your money, regardless of whether you think you know who it is. You should always call and check.
If you suspect that you have been scammed by someone on Snapchat, or another platform, you are advised to call the bank and try to stop the transaction. You must then file a police report.
– Then it is good if you have saved screenshots that you can send with the notification, says Jan Olsson.