Fraud cases in Sola rise sharply: 169 reports this year against 99 last year
Police in Sola register significantly more fraud cases in 2025 and warn of increased risk during Black Week and Christmas shopping.
Marked increase in fraud in Sola ahead of Christmas sales
169 fraud cases have been registered in Sola this year – against 99 in the same period last year and 114 in the whole of 2024. This is reported by solabladet.no, which has spoken to the municipality's police spokesperson, Tore Byberg, about the development.
– Unfortunately, it is particularly topical right now, says Byberg to the newspaper.
With Black Week and major Christmas shopping just around the corner, Byberg warns that fraudsters exploit pressure on consumers. The hunt for popular items and fear of missing out on a good deal give perpetrators favourable conditions.
– Fraudsters often exploit time pressure, attractive offers and fear of missing out on a good purchase, he says.
According to the police spokesperson, the total scope of financial losses is difficult to calculate precisely, as it requires extensive work to extract the figures. At district level, however, the scope is massive: in the entire South-West police district, 2,977 fraud cases have been registered so far this year.
Two young people charged with 40 fraud cases on Finn.no
Byberg highlights a current prosecution being handled by Sør-Rogaland District Court. Two young people are charged with a total of 40 fraud cases committed via the classified advertising site Finn.no. According to the charge, they listed PlayStation 5 consoles, Nintendo Switch consoles, mobile phones and Pokémon cards for sale – received payment but never delivered the goods.
The prosecution assesses that the fraud bore the hallmarks of being systematic, and estimates that the accused have collected over 170,000 Norwegian kroner. Police became aware of the case after several persons reported similar incidents, and the investigation revealed connections between the cases.
Digital crime is growing
Byberg emphasises that an increasing share of crime takes place in the digital realm. The cases range from fake payment solutions and identity theft to fraud via telephone, SMS and social media. In November alone last year, these cases increased by 14 per cent in the police district.
As to whether the increase can be specifically linked to Black Week or Christmas shopping, police cannot document this directly based on case registration, Byberg acknowledges. However, he urges anyone who falls victim to fraud to report it – also digitally, which according to him has become easier for several types of fraud cases.
– Each report can provide important information that makes it possible to detect patterns, link cases and identify perpetrators, he says.
Source: Google News DK — Crime (da)