Fraudsters pose as buyers on online marketplaces, offering to pay for delivery.
The Central Finland Police Department issued a warning on Tuesday regarding a scam seen on several online marketplaces across the country.
Using online trading platforms like tori.fi and Facebook Marketplace, scammers pose as buyers and request to buy products.
Police said sellers are then provided with links to a legitimate-looking delivery service website. However, the site then asks users for bank or debit card information in order to use the service.
If information is submitted, criminals then charge as much money as possible from the victim’s account or card, with the stolen funds usually never recovered, police said.
The Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom issued a warning about the scheme in March, saying that reports of attempted scams involving a fake delivery service had doubled since December 2021.
Police noted that people should never reveal bank details or personal information over the telephone or online in such situations, as reputable delivery services will not request such information.
