Research · Elder Fraud

Elder Fraud and Victim Targeting

This is one of the strongest and best-documented ways in which publicly searchable personal data appears to be harming people in Sweden. Official sources show that fraudsters use easily accessible personal data to identify suitable victims, especially older people, and to make contact in a more credible way.

What official sources say

Brå: victim mapping is part of the method

Brå's 2023 report Bedrägerier mot privatpersoner states that phone fraudsters often map potential victims before contact. Easily accessible details such as name, address, age, and family situation make it possible to prepare the deception and select suitable victims. Brå also states that these frauds especially affect older people.

SOU 2024:75: elderly victims identified through search services

The 2024 government inquiry describes a specific court case in which search services were used to identify elderly persons, who were then contacted by phone. The perpetrators posed as relatives and persuaded them to hand over bank cards, which were then drained. This moves beyond general theory into a specific official example of victim identification through search services.

Police intelligence confirms the pattern

SOU 2024:75 says that the picture from court decisions is confirmed by the Police Authority's National Operations Department (NOA). During house searches, police have found printouts from search services listing victims or potential victims. That is strong evidence this is not an isolated case but an operational method.

A recent reported example

In 2025, Polisen announced charges in Lund District Court against people suspected of gross fraud against older women in southern and western Sweden. Police reporting describes older women — including women in their 90s — being called and then visited at home by offenders who collected jewellery and valuables. Phones and search histories involving elderly women's names in specific geographic areas were found during searches.

Why older people are especially exposed

The logic is straightforward:

• Fraudsters need names and contact details
• Age is useful for choosing targets
• Address data can support home visits
• Family and relationship information makes impersonation more believable
• Affluent neighbourhoods can be singled out

SOU 2024:75 explicitly states that there are examples where fraudsters used search services to target people over 90 years old or addresses in wealthy areas.

Official statistics