In its threat assessment for 2024, Økokrim writes that fraud, threats and violence are increasingly occurring at the same time. It also says that Norwegians were defrauded of NOK 1 billion last year. Three out of four fraud attempts were digital. At the same time, the police lag far behind the technological developments that criminals use on a daily basis. – Norway is a small and trust-based society. Transparency is a basic principle for Norwegian democracy and for the population to have confidence in the authorities, writes Økokrim chief Pål K. Lønseth in his foreword. These are factors that make Norwegians vulnerable to exploitation by criminals and state actors, according to the report. These are the main challenges and what makes us most vulnerable, according to the report: Main challenges and vulnerabilities Main challenges: Organized criminal actors integrate crime and profits into legal activities Loosely composed networks with access to expertise Mixing of state activity and economic crime Use of threats and violence in economic crime Vulnerabilities: Financial crime is not sufficiently prioritized in the police Transparency and trust-based systems The police lag behind technologically Lack of information sharing across agencies and the private and public sector – Trust makes us vulnerable Lønseth opened the press conference by saying that Økokrim’s threat assessment must be seen in the context of the police’s threat assessment. – It described threats to society’s structures from organized criminal networks. Our threat assessment is an elaboration and completion of that picture from our point of view, Lønseth said during the press conference. He says that the crime committed by criminal networks is a growing problem for society. The threat from these networks is therefore a large part of this year’s threat assessment. Department director of Økokrim, Lone Charlotte Pettersen, says the report also focuses on the criminal economy. – It is largely invisible to most people and is often camouflaged in legal activities, said Pettersen. She also spoke about how Norway is a society based on trust and openness. – These are factors that are vulnerable to exploitation, from both criminals and state actors. And we know that these actors exploit these vulnerabilities to commit criminal acts in and against Norway. Elderly women are abducted and isolated In the past year, there has also been an increase in bank frauds being committed in physical presence at the homes of the victims. – There have also been cases where elderly women are deprived of their liberty or manipulated into staying in a place designated by the fraudster for several days, the threat assessment states. news has previously reported how fraudsters abducted a Norwegian woman (80) to Dubai, and at the same time drained her accounts of millions of kroner. Several million kroner disappeared from the woman’s account. Photo: The police Another elderly woman in her 80s was tricked into staying at home for several days, while fraudsters gained access to her money. – The fraudsters pretend to be the police and impose a fictitious duty of confidentiality on them to avoid them contacting others. Gains trust by manipulating In the Oslo area, the number of cases of elder fraud has exploded. The police have previously told news that they believe several different criminal networks are behind the cunning fraud method. The fraudsters resort to cynical manipulation to enrich themselves at the expense of the elderly, according to the threat assessment. The red dots show the areas where, according to the police, elderly fraud has been committed in the Oslo area so far this year. The points are set generally for an area, and do not show the specific addresses where the frauds are supposed to have taken place. The fraudsters often spend many hours building up trust, through long telephone conversations and home visits. Several of the victims subsequently suffer mental health problems due to the fraudsters’ methods. – Afterwards, the victims experience fear of answering the phone, leaving the home or interacting with others, writes Økokrim. Ecocrime chief Pål K. Lønseth Photo: Håvard Greger Hagen / news Increase in digital frauds A total of 26,000 frauds were reported last year. Compared to 2022, this was an increase of 13 percent. 72 percent of the frauds were digital. In total, just under NOK 1 billion was lost. According to Økokrim, which cites Interpol, the increase can be explained in three parts: More accessible and user-friendly artificial intelligence (AI) Decentralized payment solutions The professionalization of networks that specialize in this type of crime AI is also increasingly used by criminals. In addition, criminal networks are developing technology specifically for fraud operations. While criminals quickly adopt new technology, the police are lagging behind. – The police must comply with laws, rules and guidelines before new technology can be used, the report states. This widens the technological gap between the police and the criminals. Published 29/10/2024, at 10.00 Updated 29.10.2024, at 10.07
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Økokrim sounds the alarm about the increased use of violence in economic crime – news Norway – Overview of news from various parts of the country
