The Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority has issued a consumer warning against 38 entities that lack authorisation to provide financial services in Sweden, pointing to a recurring pattern of near-identical websites used to market fake loans and investments. The warning list also, for the first time, includes websites that claim to offer interest-bearing savings through deposit taking despite lacking permission to accept deposits. The most common scam among the 38 entities is “loan fee fraud”, where consumers are asked to pay an upfront fee (for example described as an administrative cost, insurance or a deposit) for a loan that does not exist, after which contact is cut off and the money is typically not recoverable. Many of the websites appear to be built to the same template, with almost identical structure, text and functionality that mainly differ by name, logo, colours and contact details, suggesting a common origin presented as multiple separate firms. Consumers are advised to use the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority’s company register to check firms before sharing money or personal information, and to verify whether a savings offer is covered by the statutory deposit guarantee via the Swedish National Debt Office’s website.
Finansinspektionen 2025-11-28
Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority warns against 38 unlicensed firms and flags first cases of fake deposit taking
The Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority has issued a warning against 38 unauthorised entities offering fake loans and investments in Sweden, highlighting a pattern of near-identical websites. The scams often involve "loan fee fraud," where consumers pay upfront fees for non-existent loans. Consumers are advised to verify firms through the Authority's register and check savings offers for deposit guarantee coverage.