Jaagup Toompuu, head of the Police and Border Guard Board's (PPA) fraud prevention and investigation center, said the number of people making scam calls continues to grow. Although people may be more aware of scammers' activities overall, they continue to fall victim to the same schemes as they did a year ago.

More than half of the cases involve multi-stage phone scams. This means the victim receives a call purportedly from a service provider and is then directed to take another step.

One common scheme involves a scammer calling the victim and saying there is a package for them from, for example, Tartu County Court. The victim is told they need to confirm an action to receive the package. The scammers do not ask for the victim's PIN but instead send them a confirmation code. "The person hangs up and a few minutes later they get another call from the so-called bank security department," Toompuu explained.

The scammers then ask whether the victim has entered their details anywhere. If the person says they have, the caller tells them a police operation is underway. The victim is then given instructions by a scammer posing as a police officer.

"The story then continues depending on where the person has their money and how it can be moved," Toompuu said. Where possible, the scammers take remote control of the victim's computer or phone or send a courier to collect cash. Ultimately, the victim becomes involved in the supposed "police operation."

Use of famous faces

Another common scheme is investment fraud. "Fake websites and news stories have been created online using the faces of well-known Estonians who talk about how they invest," Toompuu said. These have featured people including composer Arvo Pärt, politician Helle-Moonika Helme, former deputy police chief Koit Pikaro and rally driver Ott Tänak.

Victims then enter their details on the fake website themselves. They are contacted by an investment broker who instructs them on how to transfer money to the platform. The initial amounts are usually around €250. From there, the victim is instructed on where to take out loans so they can invest more.

"One characteristic of investment scams is that they last quite a long time, sometimes for months," Toompuu explained. They only end once all of the victim's money has been taken or when the person first tries to withdraw their virtual funds from the platform.

Sometimes, after falling victim to an investment scam, a person becomes the victim of another scam. "Once victims have lost their money, they start searching online for ways to get it back," Toompuu said.

Through sponsored posts, victims may come across law firms or so-called ethical hackers who promise to recover the money. The victim is required to pay additional fees, resulting in them being defrauded again.

Scammers do not know in advance how much money they will be able to get from a particular victim. While they may get €40 from some people, scams involving companies can yield millions of euros. "Scammers take everything they can get," Toompuu said.

If someone has fallen victim to fraud, the first thing they should do is call their bank and have their cards and accounts blocked. If they still have money left, they should also disable their electronic identification tools. Only then should they contact the police. "The police certainly do not conduct their operations via WhatsApp video calls, as scammers do," Toompuu said.

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