Sweden's Finansinspektionen reported a sharp rise in its public warnings about fraudulent actors, issuing 186 warnings during 2025 compared with 12 across 2024, an increase of more than 1,450%. The increase reflected both more fraud attempts and faster supervisory handling, as the authority has changed its working methods to identify and warn about fake actors more quickly. A key operational change is that Finansinspektionen can now initiate a warning process itself when it detects a fraudulent website, whereas the process previously relied solely on tips from the public. The composition of fraud also shifted, with most warnings in 2025 relating to fake loan companies engaged in “loan fee fraud”, where consumers are asked to pay fees such as arrangement or insurance costs before any loan is disbursed and no loan is ultimately paid out. The authority also warned about impostors posing as banks offering deposits and loans, a fake insurance company, continued “recovery room” scams demanding upfront payment to recover losses, and pump-and-dump schemes that defrauded consumers of more than SEK 500 million during the summer and autumn, often using well-known financial profiles to lure retail investors into closed chat groups.
Finansinspektionen 2026-01-22
Sweden's Finansinspektionen accelerates consumer warnings as alerts on fraudulent actors jump to 186 in 2025
Sweden's Finansinspektionen issued 186 public warnings about fraudulent actors in 2025, a significant increase from 12 in 2024, due to more fraud attempts and improved supervisory processes. The authority now proactively initiates warnings for fraudulent websites and has identified prevalent scams, including fake loan companies, impostor banks, and pump-and-dump schemes defrauding consumers of over SEK 500 million.