Man arrested for defrauding over 40 elderly Norwegians of millions of kroner in phishing case.

The man has been internationally wanted in a phishing case and is now charged with gross fraud, writes NRK. He has Danish and Dutch citizenship and has largely operated abroad.

Phishing refers to digital snooping or “fishing” for sensitive information from a victim, such as passwords or credit card numbers.

– He has been in Denmark and England and broke into Norwegian online banks from there, says Rune Skjold, section leader for finance and special investigations in the Oslo police, to NRK.

Since spring 2021, more than 40 people have been defrauded of between NOK 5 and 6 million. It is mainly about elderly people who have been defrauded. The police believe there are large numbers of blackmail.

Another man, also in his 20s, was arrested in the case in February. The police believe that the two men together form a breakaway faction from a larger Danish network, and that the man who is now arrested has received information from the man who was arrested in February.

– He pretended to be the police on the phone and thus tricked the victims into giving up sensitive information, says Skjold.

The man’s defender, lawyer Morten Kjensli, confirms to NRK that an extradition process has been initiated between England and Norway.

A total of eight people have been charged in the case, six of whom are suspected of having played roles as money launderers or of knowingly or unknowingly having moved money for criminals.