Scammers have for a long time tried to trick Danish citizens and companies into handing over sensitive personal information such as MitID logins or online banking details by posing as an authority or similar. In connection with 1000-krone banknotes and older banknotes being withdrawn from circulation, it is not inconceivable that some scammers see an opportunity to deceive Danes into handing over their cash.
Therefore, you should be very sceptical if you are contacted unexpectedly – by phone, text, email or in person – by somebody offering to deliver cash for you.
Scammers are inventive, and their cover stories can be many. They may claim, for example, to be calling from Danmarks Nationalbank, your own bank or even the police and offer to pick up your cash from your home and deliver it to your bank. Or they might encourage you to send your cash by post to a specific address.
Danmarks Nationalbank will never contact you directly about cash deliveries
You might receive information from Danmarks Nationalbank, your bank or others informing you that 1000-krone banknotes and older banknotes are being withdrawn from circulation, and suggesting that you contact your bank yourself if you have cash you want to deposit into your account. But neither Danmarks Nationalbank nor other banks will ever offer to do this for you.
Scammers use the latest digital technologies
In addition to text messages and emails, some scammers also use so-called deepfakes when pretending to be someone else.
Using artificial intelligence, deepfake technology manipulates people’s voices and faces to create a faithful digital ‘copy’ of a person. Using deepfake technology, scammers can contact you by phone, FaceTime or Snapchat and pretend to be a family member, your bank advisor or another person you know and trust.
There is every reason to be sceptical of deepfakes – but there is no need to panic. If you get a call from a friend, family member or an acquaintance that seems suspicious, the police have put together some tips for spotting deepfake scammers:
- Be critical
- In doubt? Then ask check questions
- Listen carefully to the voice
- Look for errors
You can read more about the tips at politiet.dk.
Buy yourself time if you are contacted
Scammers will often try to get you to act quickly, for example by saying that offer to collect your cash will expire soon.
It is important that you keep a cool head and insist on being allowed time to think. Avoid replying to the email, text message or clicking any links right away. If you are contacted by phone, you can buy yourself time by asking the caller to call back later.
Even a few minutes of peace may allow you to establish whether something you are being told isn’t right. At the same time, you can contact the company or public authority the scammer is claiming to represent by calling their main number and checking if the enquiry is genuine.
At sikkerdigital.dk, you can read more about how you can spot fraudulent calls, e-mails or scam text messages.
Has the damage been done?
If you have become a victim of financial fraud, you should report it to the police.