People never call without wanting to give you things. This does not happen.
This is what Sebastian Claydon Tackle, fraud expert at DNB says. Explains that this type of fraud is a form of subscription fraud.
Scammers call, send SMS or email saying that you have won or been a finalist in a competition.
There may be contests where you can win an iPhone or a gift card at the grocery store.
Clear Notice: DNB Fraud Expert; No one is going to give you anything for free over the phone, says Sebastian Tackle clearly. Photo: Stig B. Fiksdal/DNB
You often get a “prize,” where you have to pay the postage yourself to have the prize delivered to your mailbox. But Tackel told TV 2 that this is not a postage stamp.
– You pay a discounted entry value for the first month. You will then be enrolled in a fixed subscription.
social manipulation
If you try to say you didn’t enter the competition, scammers may try to trick you into thinking you have.
They engage in social manipulation. They are good at making us feel uncomfortable and questioning our judgments. You have to trust yourself. If I had been in a contest, Tackle says, I would have known.
Manipulation: Scammers can try to trick you into thinking you’ve entered the competition, Tackle says. Photo: Stig B. Fiksdal/DNB
This is also what Nordea fraud expert Ida Marie Edholm says.
They often know which buttons to press and what to say to manipulate us.
Edulum has a rule to remember if you suspect you have been scammed.
– Take a step back. Stop, think, check, I usually say. Trust your gut feeling, hang up and check the number or email address, Edholm told TV 2.
Tackle and Edholm agree on how to avoid falling into such traps.
– The most important thing is not to provide card and bank information.
– illegal
Thomas Iversen of the Norwegian Consumer Council believes that this is a well-known procedure.
– Iversen says that telling you you’ve won or reached the final in a competition you didn’t participate in is a common method of fraud.
He explains that this type of fraud is a violation of the Marketing Act.
Illegal: This type of subscription fraud is illegal, says Thomas Iversen of the Consumer Council. Photo: Magnus Nøkland/TV 2
– When you portray a subscription service as something other than what it is, it is a violation of the law. Misleading marketing is prohibited.
do not pay
If you’re unlucky and accept a prize that turns out to be a subscription, you’re under no obligation to pay, Iversen explains.
– If you haven’t ordered, you don’t have to pay. Here, you retain the protection of the Right to Cancel Act, which gives you the right to opt out of the agreement free of charge.
If you fall into the subscription trap, you should refrain from paying the bill, Iversen recommends.
– In experience, it is very difficult to get a refund if you have paid such an invoice for the first time.
Don’t Pay: If you receive a bill for something you didn’t enter into an agreement about, you must refrain from paying the bill. Photo: Ole Enes Ebbesen/TV 2
If the bill goes to debt collection, you can contact the debt collection company.
You must ask the debt collection company to provide the agreement that forms the basis of the invoice. As a rule, they will not be able to do this. Iversen explains to TV 2 then that the payment obligation falls.
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