Swedish celebs campaign for public rudeness ... to prevent cyber scams

Four Swedish celebrities have joined forces with the country's police authority in a new campaign to combat cyber scams. The initiative aims to encourage the public to be more assertive, even if it means being rude, in order to protect themselves from falling victim to fraudulent schemes. According to Polisen, Sweden's police force, cybercriminals made a profit of 5.7 billion SEK ($579.9 million USD) in 2025 alone, with the elderly being particularly vulnerable to these scams.

The campaign, which will run until October 11, will feature Suzanne Reuter, Lennart Jähkel, Christina Schollin, and journalist Claes Elfsberg, all of whom are advocating for the public to break their ingrained social norms of politeness in order to stay safe. Police spokesperson Robert Öhman explained that fraudsters are skilled social engineers who manipulate their targets through a combination of trust and stress or urgency.

He urged the public to hang up the phone if they have any doubts about the legitimacy of a call. Common tactics include sending SMS messages under false pretenses, often impersonating government agencies or banks, which leads victims to call the provided number and be connected to the scammers. Similar scams target the Netherlands, where criminals even dress as police officers to steal valuables after the victim transfers them.

Officials are not only concerned about the financial losses suffered by victims but also about the potential use of stolen funds to finance other criminal activities. The Swedish police and the Post and Telecom Agency (PTS) have been collaborating more closely since June to combat telephone fraud, and new rules under the Electronic Communications Act, which took effect on August 1, now require service providers to block suspected fraudulent communications before they reach recipients.