More than one in three victims reported a success in identity theft.
There has been a significant increase in the number of scams. Adobe Stock / AOP
Internet scammers have been really active over the last couple of years, and it has been difficult to avoid various scam messages or calls.
According to a survey conducted by IROResearch, up to 87 percent of Finns have received fishing messages or fishing calls. The number of scams has been on the rise, according to the survey, with only 40 per cent of respondents saying they had received a scam message or call last year. Percentage reported losing their personal information while fishing.
Country Director of MySafety, an insurance company specializing in cybercrime Johanna Abgottspon says he is worried about the direction.
– A form of fraudulent crime linked to identity theft is emerging for us, which cuts across the entire nation. The situation is problematic as it easily leads to the normalization of scam messages, Abgottspon says in a statement.
– The corona pandemic has clearly boosted the growth of fishing messages and scams. When we switched to telecommuting in the spring of 2020, the so-called Microsoft scams began, and now that society is reopening, fraud has affected corona passports, among other things.
Identity theft is common
Eight percent of respondents said they had been subjected to identity theft, and more than one in three said they had committed identity theft. In relation to the population, approximately 375,000 Finns would have been the target of identity theft.
Eight percent of respondents said they did not know how personal information had been accessed. The figure is significantly lower than in previous years. Finns are more aware of various scams and know how to prepare for them.
According to the study, three out of four identity thefts originated via email.
Loss of personal information often results in financial loss. The information obtained can be used to make illegal purchases or even order a new ID. Half of the respondents said they had suffered financial losses. A third of them said they had lost € 100-500 and the rest less than € 100.
Forty-four percent of respondents said they reported identity theft to police. The figure has risen significantly from 15 percent last year.
– It is noteworthy, however, that one in three (32%) does not tell anyone about identity theft. Although the share has fallen significantly from last year, the figure is still high. A suspicion of identity theft should always be reported – otherwise, the perpetrator cannot be punished, Abgottspo says.