Your phone rings, and you see an unknown Norwegian number. When in doubt, take it. It could be Posten or a job interview. At the other end, you hear the noise from a call center. The person speaks broken English. Supposedly you have a virus on your PC and you realize that someone is trying to scam you. Again. Many Norwegians have experienced such fraud attempts in recent years. But did you know that most people never reach you, and that more and more people are stopped? – Now we actually stop 98.6 per cent of fraud attempts that come in via text messages and telephone, says Erik Haugland. Erik Haugland, director of security, at mobile operator Ice. Photo: Martin Gundersen / news Haugland is responsible for the security of telecom operator Ice’s 900,000 Norwegian customers. He has invited news to visit Operations Center East. There, people work around the clock to prevent thousands of fraud attempts. The team at the Operations Center are interceptors when criminals break through the mobile operators’ advanced defense systems. Photo: Martin Gundersen – It’s a game of cat and mouse, says Roy, one of the network operators. He and the team have their finger on the pulse of everyone who moves in Ice’s network. When the GPs open their telephone lines in the morning, they see traffic popping up on the colorful screens in real time. The graphs also clearly show when there is voting in Melodi Grand Prix. And if a Norwegian number suddenly starts sending thousands of messages in a short time, the alarm goes off with the network team. But more and more are stopped before it reaches us mobile customers. Stops more fraud – In three weeks, we stopped 170,000 fake fraud SMSs from one of the players, who tried to pretend they were sending a message from Posten, says Director of Security, Erik Haugland. This is what the recent fraud message looked like – but none of the 170,000 messages reached mobile customers. Ice has adopted a new, advanced computer system which they use to capture and evaluate such messages. It can recognize suspicious patterns in text messages and phone calls. It does not mean that someone at the mobile operator is sitting and reading our messages, emphasizes Operations Director Tore Malmo. Tore Malmo, the director of operations who heads the Operations Center of Ice. Those who work there are anonymous. Photo: Martin Gundersen – Privacy is paramount, no one should be in doubt about that, says Malmo. When the specialists at Ice discover that the fraudsters are still getting through the filters with SMS or scam phones, they step in and block them. At the same time, they work behind the scenes to plug potential security holes before fraudsters find and exploit them. And it is needed. Self-defence against fraud Here you have a small, click-based crash course: In order to avoid being defrauded, it helps to know more about how fraudsters think. Click to the right here to find out more about the most common methods and how to protect yourself against them. Then you will know what spoofing and money mules are. The overview is based on advice from the website svindel.no, as part of an anti-fraud campaign by Finans Norge. Telephone scams (1/8) The scammers try to trick you into thinking they are someone you can trust. They can make it look like they are calling from a Norwegian number, or use technology to speak with another person’s voice. They will then try to get you to give them access BankID, passwords, codes or the like so they can steal your money. Only scammers would ask to get such things over the phone. If this happens, hang up – it’s not rude. Also remember: Do not answer calls from hidden numbers Call the business even if you are unsure who called you. Remember that nothing is urgent SMS fraud (2/8) You receive a text message that looks like it comes from a credible sender such as the tax authorities, or a family member who “got a new number”. The goal is to get you to answer, call back a special number or click on a link, and then find a way to defraud you. They will try to get you on a website or in a phone call to convince you that they can be trusted. Delete the message, do not reply, and do not click on the link. Also remember: If you are unsure, contact the business directly through official channels Serious players do not link directly in the SMS “Secure account” scam (3/8) The scammer contacts you and tells you that the account yours has been hacked or attacked, and that you must therefore transfer the money to a so-called “safe” or “safe” account. Allegedly, “your money is at risk” and the solution is to transfer the money to a “security account”. In reality, you are tricked into transferring the money directly to the scammer. The person can often appear confident, can speak good Norwegian and at the same time reassure you that it is urgent. Lower your shoulders and hang up. Also remember: Banks, police or Økokrim will never ask you to transfer money. Investment fraud (4/8) Fraudsters lure you with easy money in shares, cryptocurrency or other investments. Often via advertisements or online stories on social media, and they may well falsify serious newspapers and make up stories about celebrities who allegedly recommend this “fantastic product”. They will give you the impression “that it is urgent” and that you must click on the link “before the opportunity slips away”. They then try to trick you into giving them your credit card information in order to steal as much money as possible from you. Avoid investing via links on e-mail or social media, even if the actor seems credible.Fake online shops (5/8) Did you know that 70% of all new online shops, according to svindel.no, are fake and designed to defraud you? If you enter your card details to buy something in a fake online store, there is a high chance that the money has been lost. In addition, the criminals will have received your card information and could easily misuse it further. Be critical of offers on well-known brands that seem too good to be true. Also remember: Search for mentions of the online store and other people’s experience of shopping with them If the website address looks strange or unofficial, it could be a scam Spoofing (6/8) Spoofing is a method scammers use to trick you into thinking they are calling from a known business. With the help of special software, they make it appear as if it is, for example, the bank, the credit card provider or the police who are making contact. If you perceive the call as suspicious, for example by asking you to provide credit card information or social security number, you can hang up. Remember, it is not rude to interrupt a conversation with someone you suspect is trying to scam you.Love Scams (7/8) The scammer pretends to be someone they are not and initiates a romantic relationship with the victims over social media, dating – or chat services. As the relationship develops, they will ask for money for various expenses that arise. The fraudsters exploit the infatuation of the victims, who often end up selling assets or taking out consumer loans to raise money. Don’t let love get in the way of reason. Don’t trust people you’ve never met. Also remember: Delete and report profiles that ask for money. Never give sensitive, personal information to someone you talk to online. Money Mules (8/8) Here, criminals offer you easy money in return for using one of your accounts to transfer or move money for them. You then become the mule. The use of money mules is increasing, and today children as young as 15 are being manipulated into laundering and acting as money mules. Always research companies or people who offer you easy money. Never open a bank account because someone you just met asks you to, and be extremely critical of letting others use your account for money transfers. Sharp increase in fraud Figures from the Norwegian Financial Supervisory Authority show that individuals and companies lost NOK 928 million to fraud last year. In comparison, the figure for the previous year was NOK 614 million – an increase of over 50 per cent. The telecommunications network is an important channel for fraudsters, and the Norwegian telecommunications operators are bombarded by fraud attempts. According to the National Communications Authority (Nkom), mobile operators blocked over 100 million fraud attempts in 2023. During Black Week last year, Ice alone blocked over 2 million fraud SMSes. Demand for better cooperation In January, Nkom asked the mobile network operators to cooperate more closely. Now the work has begun to bear fruit. – In May, there were around 40 million calls from abroad to the three mobile networks. On average, a quarter of these are stopped because they were attempted fraud. That means 10 million fraudulent calls in one month, according to Johannes Vallesverd, who is a senior adviser at Nkom and head of the expert group against digital fraud. Johannes Myhre Vallesverd, senior adviser at the National Communications Authority. Photo: National Communications Authority Telia reported that they stopped up to 70 per cent of calls with their protection during peak periods. The good news is that a large part of these calls are now stopped, with the help of a new filter: Fraudsters with Norwegian phone numbers When foreign fraudsters call you with an apparently Norwegian phone number, this is called spoofing. To stop this, Telenor, Telia and Ice now use a new filter to block this type of call. – When a Norwegian number calls from abroad, we make a lookup in the system. If the number is a customer of Ice, we can now find out if it is a spoof, and block many more fraud attempts, says Erik Haugland, Director of Security at Ice. Strong improvement Nkom tells news that the new measures introduced by the telecommunications companies this spring appear to have had a good effect. They also think it is good that the authorities’ recommendation and the mobile operators’ reinforced measures have produced results. – Norway is in the process of establishing effective digital shields against spoofing of Norwegian telephone numbers. All mobile players and customers benefit from this work, says Johannes Vallesverd from Nkom. – But people must still be aware that there may be fraud attempts. When one hatch is closed, the fraudsters will use other channels. Too lucrative for them to pass up. More measures on the way Vallesverd also says that there are several, concrete steps being taken to shield us from foreign fraud: – We are following up on several measures that are now underway, and closing more and more gaps. Both on SMS and telephone, we are taking concrete steps in the coming months to block even more fraud attempts. Published 24.06.2024, at 12.51
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Stops fraudsters around the clock – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
