Viitak said there have also been situations where a relative notices suspicious behavior and alerts the police that the victim plans to meet a stranger to hand over money.

"Officers responding to the call try to convince the person that it's a scam, but the victim either completely denies what's happening or continues to believe they are carrying out tasks assigned to them as part of a secret police operation," Viitak said. Sometimes the victim calls a police patrol to have them verify the investigators who arrived on the scene.

In some cases, the victim asks the officer for a so‑called code word that scammers have previously agreed upon with them. The fraudster explains that the code word helps confirm that the victim is speaking to the 'right' people and that anyone who doesn't know it must not be trusted.

"If the responding officer cannot say the code word, the victim takes it as confirmation that the officer is not real," Viitak said.

These incidents are linked to the rise in scam calls in recent years. Fraudsters create the impression through multiple calls that the victim has fallen prey to a scam and must follow instructions to save their money. The victim is told they are part of a secret police operation and are helping catch criminals.

Scammers insist that the victim must not tell anyone, claiming it could hinder the investigation and lead to punishment. "In the final stage of the scheme, the victim is asked to hand over their cash, bank cards and documents to a courier or place them in a parcel locker for 'inspection'," Viitak explained.

Home and car go up for sale

In particularly severe cases, victims have sold their homes or cars and handed the proceeds to scammers. This manipulation can last days or weeks, during which fraudsters try to build a trusting relationship, show interest in the victim's daily life and give the impression that they care about their well‑being. Their goal is to make the victim feel that the person on the phone is trustworthy and trying to help.

"When someone has been under the scammers' influence for a long time, it's usually not enough for a police officer to show their badge or say it's a scam," Viitak said. Victims are often sincerely convinced they are doing the right thing. It can take a long time and a lot of explanation to persuade them otherwise.

Swedbank's head of customer services, Ede Raagmets, said there have been cases where a bank employee contacts a client, but the person suspects the caller might be a scammer. She noted that such cases have increased slightly compared to previous years.

"A typical situation is that the bank employee introduces themselves at the start of the call, and the client asks how they can verify the call is really from the bank," Raagmets said. She explained that clients have several ways to check whether the caller is genuinely from Swedbank.

For example, the client can end the call and dial Swedbank's customer support number themselves to ask whether the bank tried to contact them. The bank can also send a secure message to the client's online banking account. It is also important to remember that bank employees never ask for PIN codes or request that they be entered anywhere during a phone call.

Some days bring ten scam attempts

Omniva's communications manager, Agne Teder, said scam schemes occasionally reappear using Omniva's name. "Some days we don't receive any such inquiries, other days there may be ten," she said. It depends on the scammers' activity and which schemes are currently circulating.

Questions related to scams also reach Omniva's customer service and increase its workload, as people want to verify whether a message, email or call truly came from Omniva.

Calls from unfamiliar numbers should be approached with caution, and if the caller's story raises suspicion or fear, the call should be ended. Clear warning signs include pressure to act quickly, instructions not to tell family members, or requests to confirm something with PIN codes or hand over money.

The police do not involve people in secret operations and never ask anyone over the phone to identify themselves using Smart‑ID or Mobile‑ID. Scammers try to isolate victims from the outside world to make them easier to manipulate.

If you fall victim to fraud, you should first call your bank, block your cards and ask for transfers to be stopped. Then file a criminal report with the police and include all available evidence to help determine the scope of the incident.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and X and never miss an update!