Fraudsters use death notices to deceive bereaved elderly
Criminals scan death notices online to find vulnerable elderly people and trick them into providing card details and MitID credentials. NSK is investigating the cases.
Criminals exploit death notices for telephone fraud targeting elderly
Criminals are scanning death notices on the internet to identify elderly people in mourning, whom they subsequently contact by telephone in order to defraud them. This is according to the National Unit for Serious Crime (NSK), which is currently receiving reports of fraud targeting surviving spouses.
According to B.T., the fraudsters tell the bereaved that they have an inheritance, overpaid tax or a pension from the deceased to be paid out. They then request card details — card number, expiry date and the three-digit security code — and finally demand that the victim authorises the payment with MitID.
— The fraudsters use information from death notices, including the names of family members and details about the death or funeral, to appear credible and manipulate the bereaved into believing that the call is legitimate, says deputy police inspector Allan Lørup from NSK in a press release.
The victims are typically elderly people aged between 80 and 90 who are in a psychologically vulnerable state due to grief.
— It is deeply tasteless that criminals exploit people in mourning to commit fraud. We therefore urge children and other relatives to speak with bereaved spouses about being particularly vigilant, says Allan Lørup.
NSK emphasises that authorities will never call and request money transfers or the disclosure of card or MitID information. If one receives a call from a person claiming to be from a bank or public authority, the police urge you to hang up and contact the company or institution yourself directly to verify the enquiry.
The police are conducting a preliminary investigation into the cases.
Source: B.T.