Information and open discussion are key factors in combatting online scams

22.4.2026 10.36
Blog
The police badge on the sleeve of the uniform jacket.

Ring ring – the phone is ringing or a message arrives in your email or as a text message. It seems that the police, a bank or some other legitimate party is trying to reach you. The phone call or message pressures you to act quickly – for example, to click on a link and log in to a service, provide your personal or bank information, accept a payment or transfer money to a so-called security account. This is really urgent! But wait a minute, think twice.

That is a typical cyber-assisted fraud, more commonly known as an online scam, in which an attempt is usually made to phish people’s sensitive information. The scammers aim to create a sense of urgency and take advantage of people’s distress and trust. These types of situations are unfortunately too familiar to many Finns.

The number of online scams has increased rapidly in recent years. The phenomenon is international and causes billions of euros in criminal losses. Cyber fraudsters are more and more often organised internationally and work as networks. Online scams are often associated with other crimes as well.

In 2025, the Finnish police became aware of 10,272 online scams, which caused an estimated total financial loss of approximately 88 million euros. Most of the online scams were so-called phishing scams; 6,526 such cases were recorded. The proceeds of crime were also the largest in these types of offences, more than 38 million euros.

Other significant forms of online scams included:

  • romance scams or document scams (1,406 scams / 13.6 million euros)
  • investment scams (1,045 scams / 24.4 million euros)
  • CEO scams (344 scams / 6.4 million euros)

Anyone can come across an online scam

Online scams can have serious consequences for victims of crime and the people close to them. Victims of crime can lose significant sums of money, and fraudsters can take out loans in their name, among other things. This often causes human suffering to the victims of crime and their loved ones.

One of the most important means of preventing online scams is communication. It is easier to recognise an online scam when people receive sufficient information about scams in advance. Awareness allows people to stop and assess whether a text message, email message or phone call is a real thing or a scam.

Many Finns have avoided financial losses because they have identified a scam based on a warning they have heard earlier. Scams can and should therefore be discussed openly. There is nothing to be ashamed of being cheated, and it can happen to anyone.

Crime is changing all the time

Even though scams have been communicated in public for years and the topic keeps repeating in the news headlines, communication is still needed. The police regularly publish information on current scams and the damage and loss caused by them through means such as press releases, social media content, media appearances and presentations at various events. Information about scams is also provided by many other parties, such as Traficom, telecommunication operators, the financial sector, the media and various organisations. A multidisciplinary network called “Be vigilant on the web”, in which the police are actively involved, has also been established in Finland to provide this communication.

Criminals are constantly developing new scam methods in which they utilise technology and people’s trust. Advanced automation is currently used to an increasing degree in scams. As an example, very common robocalls typically start with a recorded security notice referring to an unauthorised login, suspicious bank transfer or other matter concerning the victim.

The recording instructs the victim to press a specific number on the phone, which connects a human scammer to the phone call. An automated system is typically used for making robot scam calls to countless random numbers, and a small share of these always reach real telephone numbers. Without automation, these kinds of mass calls would not necessarily be worth the trouble for scammers.

The police are also monitoring growing phenomena, such as the development of artificial intelligence, which challenges the authorities in a new way. The following things, among others, are possible with the help of artificial intelligence:

  • forging of documents
  • manipulation of audio and video material
  • creation of highly credible and individually targeted scam messages
  • making scam telephone calls pretending to be a person close to the victim or a person who is otherwise important to the victim.

Technology can also be used to prevent online scams. This is why criminals have also refined their manipulation skills. In fact, a significant change in online scams has taken place in that it is increasingly common for the victims of crime themselves to transfer the proceeds of crime to criminals, whereas previously criminals aimed to snoop on the victim’s online banking credentials and then make the money transfers themselves. For example, when a victim makes a bank transfer with their own online banking credentials and their own device, it may be difficult for the bank and the police to intervene.

Another growing phenomenon is the recruitment of young people, even minors, for money laundering. The scammers aiming to launder money want access to the recruited person’s bank account, which is used to conceal the origin of the money obtained through crime and to give an appearance that the funds have been obtained legally. The recruited person may be promised a large percentage of the “proceeds”, in other words of the money obtained through crime. In some cases, the recruit becomes a victim when the online banking credentials he or she has provided are used, for example, to take out loans and credits used by the scammers. Recruitment for money laundering is carried out openly on social media.

Crime-as-a-Service (CaaS) is also a common occurrence. This refers to a phenomenon in which organised crime groups sell or rent criminal tools, services and know-how online to commit crimes.

Stop, study, consider

Scammers often want to create a sense of urgency, so it is important to always stop, study the matter at hand and consider before making decisions. You should never make or approve bank transfers in uncertain situations, and you should never disclose your online banking credentials, payment card details or other sensitive information to anyone else. The police, banks or other legitimate entities do not ask for such information or pressure anyone to make bank transfers by telephone, text message, email, messaging applications or in any other way.

If you suspect that you have become a victim of a crime, contact your own bank immediately and tell them about what happened. Then report the crime to the police. The sooner the bank and the police are informed of the case, the better the chances of getting the scammed money back.

Further information