Experts tell you the different ways digital fraudsters will try to separate you from your money in 2024.
The experts told what kind of scams Finns should be prepared for in 2024. Jenni Gästgivar
On Monday, Nordea organized an event where the views of several experts working on digital and online scams were heard on what kind of scams Finns should be prepared for in the near future.
We told you earlier how investment and security account scams in particular have seen a strong growth this year. In addition to these, experts are also very concerned about so-called love scams, which are believed to be a thorn in the flesh of Finns next year as well.
In a love scam, the scammer tries to build a deep emotional relationship with his victim and exploit, for example, strong emotions in order to later extort money from the victim. These scams are characterized by their long duration, as money may only be requested after months of messaging.
– Financial losses and a burning heart. Love goes away, money goes away, describes the development director of the Crime Victims Emergency Service Jaana Koivukangas the typical outcome of love scams.
If you were cheated, don’t stay to think, but act
Also a crime police constable of the Central Criminal Police Marko Wilderness in his speech, he specifically highlights investment fraud, love fraud and security account fraud as examples of bank scams that should be prepared for next year as well.
If you suspect that your money, bank credentials or card information have ended up in the hands of fraudsters, Erämaa has clear instructions.
– First contact the bank, then report the crime to the police, Erämaa emphasizes.
According to Erämaa, the victim’s slow reaction is a problem for both the police and the banks.
– You should call the bank right away, and not stay thinking all night. Money moves so fast these days.
“Frighteningly good”
Nordea’s fraud prevention expert Sara Helin divides the most typical bank scams into two categories.
– For phishing in different channels, such as e-mail, text message or social media, and for various scams in which the victim plays an active role. These include investment scams, love scams as well as these “hey mom, hey dad” type scams, Helin says, referring to the latter scams that we have recently warned about.
According to Helin, today’s digital scams are “frighteningly good” and multi-channel.
– First there is a text message in the name of the bank, then a call is made and messages can be sent during the call, and then remote control programs are installed on the victim’s device, Helin lists.
– Social manipulation and hybridity are also coming to phishing.
Also head of Nordea’s personal customer business Sarah Mella warns of more advanced scammers than before.
– Fraudsters are psychologically more skilled than before, and they no longer use such bad Finnish or clumsy translations. Anyone can be scammed, Mella warns.
Artificial intelligence will be misused
Artificial intelligence and various fake deepfake contents are predicted to become a much bigger problem than at present.
Deepfake videos combine authentic-looking video and sound. A forger using artificial intelligence is able to define everything that the person in the video does and put completely made-up words in his mouth.
– Deepfake is coming and is closer than we think, says Erämaa of the Central Criminal Police.
He points out that Finns also fell for the scam, where the Hollywood star as Keanu Reeves the criminals who appeared tried to get money from their victims.
– If Keanu Reeves goes through in text form, then what happens when it is done with deepfake.
With the help of artificial intelligence, it is easier to make text-based scams more believable than before, and the scammer doesn’t even have to be Finnish.
Fraudsters do not necessarily know how the taxman or the police in Finland communicate, and the scam texts created by the criminals themselves can be very clumsy. By utilizing artificial intelligence, even this problem can be circumvented.
However, according to Nordea’s Helin, artificial intelligence is not just a threat to banks either, but it is worth learning how to utilize it.
– Artificial intelligence challenges, but also brings opportunities to banks. They can only be guessed at this stage. We observe what is happening in other parts of the world, Helin says.