Finns lose €80m in online scams in 2024

People in Finland lost more than 80 million euros in cyber-enabled frauds in 2024, said National Police Board in a press release on Thursday.

Cyber-enabled crimes, such as fraud, money laundering and identity theft, have become vastly more common.

The police are focusing on the prevention of cyber-enabled crime in many different ways.

In order to combat cyber-enabled crime, the police established a new national investigation unit for cyber-enabled crime at the Central Finland Police Department in the spring of 2024.

The police conduct national and international co-operation and develop technical solutions to solve crimes.

At the Lapland Police Department, the new successful procedures have significantly reduced the number of filed police reports.

Some criminal investigators have focused solely on investigating petty fraud and fraud. The investigators investigate these cases in an offender-focused manner on different online marketplaces.

Active communication by the police about cyber-enabled crime and consequently people’s vigilance are also key factors in the prevention of cyber-enabled crime.

As the summer holiday period is beginning, the police urge people to be vigilant, especially when buying motorhomes, caravans and machinery. Scammers try to sell something that they do not really have.

“Now, in the spring, the sales season of motorhomes, caravans and machines will start again, which means that there will probably be some kinds of scams related to these. Unsuspecting people are sold things that the seller does not actually have,” said Detective Superintendent of the Lapland Police Department Pälvi Suokas.