Rising Fraud Targeting the Elderly in Stockholm: A Growing Concern
The rise of fraud targeting the elderly in Stockholm raises alarms as victims share alarming experiences.
Key Points
- • Fraud targeting the elderly has surged, generating 6.3 billion SEK in 2024.
- • Nearly 30 reported cases of fraud weekly as of 2025 in Stockholm.
- • Victims like Hjördis Carlsson have suffered significant emotional and financial losses.
- • Police encourage victims to report scams and prioritize public awareness.
Fraud schemes targeting the elderly in Stockholm are on the rise, prompting concerns among law enforcement and communities. Reports indicate a surge in manipulative tactics employed by scammers, specifically phone frauds that have become a lucrative source of income for organized crime, generating around 6.3 billion SEK in 2024 alone. This sum represents nearly double the profits from drug-related crimes. According to Johan Halling from the Stockholm police, the district has seen nearly 30 cases of fraud reported weekly as of 2025, with a worrying resurgence in these incidents after a brief decline in 2024.
Victims like 83-year-old Hjördis Carlsson illustrate the harrowing reality of these scams. On August 4, Hjördis received a deceptive SMS about a rental car, which led her to inadvertently contact a scammer posing as a police officer. This individual falsely alerted her to a perceived threat to her valuables, ultimately coercing her into handing over her gold jewelry, along with family heirlooms. Hjördis and her husband reported their experience to the police, who affirmed that such scams are alarmingly common among the elderly. Hjördis expressed feelings of shame and vulnerability due to her experience, emphasizing the emotional toll these manipulative tactics have on victims.
The police stress the importance of vigilance, discouraging the elderly from responding to unsolicited messages or calls, particularly those that ask for personal information. Halling advised against interacting with numbers presented in dubious communications, particularly those beginning with '010', which can easily be rented by criminals. He encouraged victims to report any fraudulent activity, reinforcing that the shame of these experiences lies squarely with the perpetrators rather than the victims themselves. Recent police efforts have led to arrests and convictions in connection with such fraud schemes, indicating that authorities are taking this growing issue seriously and working to combat it effectively.