Scammers exploit Suomi.fi and banks, Kilpi app reveals

Dear customer, you are one of the lucky ones selected to participate in Lidl Finland's exclusive gift-card survey. Tamperelainen reports. The Kilpi app, which has been downloaded by more than 150,000 Finns, aggregates reports of suspicious contacts into a single database to quickly identify active fraud trends, the outlet notes. The app’s findings show that many current scams revolve around government and banking services, with fraudsters leveraging the Suomi.fi brand to lure victims toward phishing sites. Tamperelainen notes that the most common ongoing fraud involves authorities and official services. Messages often urge users to update information or confirm identity under time pressure, aiming to push recipients to fraudulent sites or services. In addition to Suomi.fi impersonations, the Kilpi database records a high volume of scams posed as banks such as POP Pankki and Nordea, prompting users to log in via a link that leads to a phishing page. The app also tracks sales scams promising prizes or bonuses to extract payments or personal data from victims. One circulating message counsels participation in a Lidl gift-card lottery, claiming a user has been selected to win a €1,000 gift card. Kilpi’s records also show a surge in scam calls from abroad, with reports spanning multiple countries including Lithuania, Spain, Germany, Sweden, Poland, the Philippines, New Zealand, Norway, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Romania, Italy and Slovenia. Tamperelainen notes that criminals follow popular services and exploit their names to enhance credibility, while manufacturing a sense of urgency to spur quick, unthinking action, according to Arto Isokoski, founder of the Finnish Telemarketing Association, in a press release.