Police Region West warns of a “new wave” of fraud – where people are contacted by the “Kronofogden”.
And those who are deceived by fraudsters have become both more and younger.
– We see a shift in terms of the age of the vulnerable, says Kristian Kiil Johansson, investigator at the investigation section in the local police area of the city of Gothenburg.
The increase is explosive.
Last spring, the police in the West dealt with about two to three cases of fraud a month. But in June the number was 37 and not even a week into the month of July, almost 30 notifications had been received.
The police are now warning that the fraudsters have changed tactics, where younger people are just as vulnerable as older people.
Broad problem
Kristian Kiil Johansson is an investigator at the investigation section in the local police area of the city of Gothenburg. He says that in the past it was common for fraudsters to use different debt collection companies as a cover. In recent times, they pretend to be from the Crown Bailiff instead.
– It has occurred before, but then to a limited extent. What we see now is partly an increased influx of cases, but also a shift in terms of age, he says.
Since June, those under the age of 65 have been affected to the same extent as the elderly.
– Now you can’t just talk about the elderly being exposed to this, but we are now trying to warn on a broad front about this development, says Kristian Kiil Johansson.
“Never call”
According to him, there are several things you can do immediately to reduce the risk of being affected. Among other things, by removing their contact details from telephone directory websites. You can also call your mobile operator and request a secret number.
– Should you still receive calls or text messages with information that you do not recognize or remember: Hang up and never call, says Kristian Kiil Johansson.
– If they say they are from the Crown Enforcement Agency and you are worried that you have a debt, I recommend that you call their official number.
The police are now working widely to inform the public about this type of fraud. Kristian Kiil Johansson says that it is also important to talk about it. Both in the family but also at their workplace.
– If we can prevent some from being affected, we can save a lot of time, resources and, above all, suffering, he says.