“Traficom” phishing scammers stole €500,000 from victims last month | Yle news

In September, Central Finland Police received 39 criminal reports related to this incident.

Police have noted an increase in the number of phishing scams involving messages that appear to come from Finnish transport and communications agency Traficom.

According to the Cybercrime Unit of the Central Finland Police, fraudsters try to trick victims into disclosing their bank details by claiming that the messages come from Traficom.

According to police, the criminals managed to steal more than 560,000 euros in September alone after sending messages to victims under the false pretense that they were from Traficom

Authorities said similar crimes occurred over the summer but increased in the fall.

In September, the department received 39 criminal complaints related to the matter. The reports include complaints from both those who lost money to the scams and those who did not.

Police also received six reports of similar scams targeting businesses. In four of these cases, no money was stolen.

According to the chief inspector, the authorities suspect several perpetrators behind the crime due to different approaches Sakari Tuominen.

He explained that criminals try to trick people into clicking on links. However, these links lead to websites that look like their bank’s website, and when the victim enters their banking details, they have effectively given the scammer access to their account.

Afterwards, Tuominen explained, victims often receive a call from someone posing as a bank representative.

But in reality the caller is a criminal who is after the victim’s money. If the victim then gives the scammer the correct code, the criminal may be able to clean their account, according to Tuominen.

There are ways to avoid getting caught up in a scam, including:

• Do not log into your online bank using a link sent in an SMS as this may lead to a fake website that looks legitimate.
• Never share your online banking credentials. A legitimate authority will not ask you for your login details as they can access your data without you having to do anything.
• If you log in to services other than your bank, a mobile certificate is the most secure method.
• If you suspect the identity of someone claiming to be an officer, ask them to repeat their name. Then call the officer’s main dispatcher and ask to be put through to that person.
• If you become a victim of fraud, contact your bank immediately and report it to the police.