After Fredrik Auke, whose stage name is “Freddy Kalas”, began appearing on Hver gang vi møstes, fraudsters have taken over TV 2’s platforms on social media.
In the comments section of TV 2’s accounts, a Freddy Kalas user contacts the fans.
FRAUD: This is how inquiries in the comment field come out. Photo: Screenshot
– The users want to get in touch with my followers by pretending to be me. Possibly they will ask my followers to add them on other platforms such as WhatsApp and the like. From there they will try to scam money out of my followers. Among other things, they gamble on illness and financial problems. This puts the follower in a rather stressful situation and the person concerned will at worst give in, says Auke to TV 2.
HIT MACHINE: Freddy Kalas is behind several Norwegian national anthems, including “Pinne for landet”. Photo: Vegard Breie / TV 2
– Sad and burdensome
The artist says that the fake users have been a problem for a long time. On TV 2’s social media accounts, they did not appear in the comments section until after the Hvergang vi mötes participation became known.
– I have long been aware of the user. It seems as if the “same people” are behind the vast majority of the profiles. There are new ones almost every single day.
Auke says that the fraudsters do not formulate themselves well, and that it is often easy to reveal that this is a person whose mother tongue is not Norwegian. He perceives that it is especially younger people who get carried away by the fraudsters’ lies.
– I thought it was very sad and burdensome. The only thing that can be done is to report these users. And then I encourage parents to talk to their children about the problem.
Auke points out that there are many other Norwegian artists who are exposed to the same type of fraud attempts. He offers tips that can reveal fake users:
– We have a blue verification mark in front of our account names, which indicates that we are authentic. I have no other users except the one with the blue tick.
TIP: This blue mark indicates that a profile is real. Photo: Screenshot
Big problem
Janne Stang Dahl, communications director at the Norwegian Data Protection Authority, says that fake celebrity users are a big problem.
– Fake profiles on the internet are very common. Impersonating someone else, such as a celebrity, is one of many tricks used. Often the aim is to swindle money from those who allow themselves to be deceived. And it can be done quickly, because many fraudsters with fake profiles can act quite believably. It is therefore very important to be aware of what personal data you give out online, even if you think you know the person.
When asked how to see through a fraudster, she replies:
– It should ring a bell if someone wants something from you, or about you, online. It is often personal information that the ID thief is after. It could be, for example, your telephone number, social security number, username, bank account, password and data about you that can be used further. Or that the person in question is scamming directly and asking for money in order for you to get a profit of some kind, or that you help someone who is in dire need of support.
SAD: Freddy Kalas thinks it’s sad that someone pretends to be him. He believes that children are particularly vulnerable to such fraud attempts. The Norwegian Data Protection Authority agrees with this. Photo: Vegard Breie/TV 2
You must say this to children
Dahl also agrees with Freddy Kalas, who says it is important that parents talk to children about this problem.
– Talk to the children. It is important to establish an understanding that many pretend to be someone else than they are when you are online. It is easy to create fake profiles in various social media and platforms. It can be experienced as very unpleasant when you discover that it is someone else, and that you are even being exploited in money fraud or other ways. The internet is an arena where the vast majority are, and fraudsters take full advantage of this. It is important to make children aware of this, and help them to understand that it is also important to tell adults if this happens.
SIMILAR INQUIRIES: The inquiries from the fake user are often “cut and paste”. Photo: Screenshot
The communications director says that many people are ashamed and embarrassed if they are deceived by a fake user, and thus do not dare to say anything.
– It is important to make the children understand that this is something that is normal, and that you have to speak up and get it stopped. Many criminals are becoming increasingly professional online, and operate cunningly against various target groups, unfortunately also against children. They exploit human contact to obtain information about you. Your personal data is valuable to others, and can be misused for fraud or other criminal acts.
