On Monday, DNB presented a report showing a marked increase in fraud attempts against the bank’s customers.
Compared to 2021, the bank has seen an increase in digital fraud attempts of 45 per cent.
– There is a tremendous increase, and there is reason to believe that this form of crime will only increase further, says Sebastian Takle, analyst and fraud expert at DNB.
Big losses
The most common form of fraud is so-called phishing, where someone tries to steal money from you by getting you to give out personal information, such as credit card numbers or passwords.
VOLDSOMT: DNB’s fraud expert Sebastian Takle says the increase is violent. Photo: DNB
– It has become incredibly easy for criminals to defraud people in this way, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to uncover what is actually fraud, because they combine different methods, says Takle.
Nordea has also previously stated to TV 2 that they see an increasing fraud trend.
DNB and their customers lost a total of NOK 176 million to fraud last year.
During last year, on the other hand, the bank managed to stop more than one billion kroner from being defrauded.
– We ended up with around 10,000 cases in 2022. It is quite unpleasant to think about how many such cases we are now dealing with, says Takle.
Tapped for larger sums
Takle tells TV 2 that they do not know the fraud figures from the other big banks.
– I can’t answer that, unfortunately. But there is no reason to believe that there is less fraud against customers in other banks.
According to the fraud expert, customers are being defrauded for ever higher sums.
– A few years ago, the average was around NOK 20-50,000. Now the average is around 120,000 in phishing cases, but several have lost millions, he says.
According to Takle, it has become more difficult to come up with advice on how private individuals can prevent being defrauded.
– What is happening now is that the criminals are combining different methods. That makes it more difficult to give any general advice.
He explains that the criminals make greater use of what he calls “hybrid fraud”.
This means, among other things, that someone contacts you on social media and starts a love scam.
Instead of completing this, they may turn to recommending fake investments.
– They get to know the victim and use the method they think suits them best, he explains.
– Most likely nonsense
Because fraudsters are constantly getting better technology and using different methods, the fraud expert finds it difficult to give customers any clear advice on what to look for.
– But I would advise everyone to use their gut feeling. Who asks you what, and is it natural?
SENSITIVE INFORMATION: Never give away card information, passwords or approve a request through BankID, unless you are sure of what is involved. Photo: Ali Zare
– If the police or the bank calls you on a Thursday evening to get you to approve something via BankID, it is most likely just nonsense, explains Takle.
– Say no and instead call the bank or the police on another number. On a general basis, you should never approve things through BankID that you don’t know what they are, he explains.
It is also not easy to determine who the fraudsters are looking for.
– There may be a preponderance of elderly people who end up being defrauded, but there is no clear target group when it comes to phishing. Everyone is fundamentally exposed.
