The number of reported investment frauds increased by 57 percent during January to June this year, compared with last year.

It is often with the help of online ads that fraudsters entice people to make a first investment.

- It can be, for example, 250 euros as a first investment. But they are not content with that but want you to invest more. If you do not do that, you will not get back the money you invested from the beginning, says Lotta Mauritzson, crime prevention officer at the National Fraud Center, NBC, with the police.

- Many who are exposed realize quite early that they will not get any money back. But some continue to invest and may even be persuaded to take out loans. There are everything from those who have lost 2,500 Swedish kronor, to people who have lost several million kronor in this way, she continues.

Men more often exposed

Last year, fraudsters defrauded themselves of an average of SEK 370,000 in criminal profits per investment fraud. In total, this corresponded to SEK 38 million in crime profits per month, according to NBC. The corresponding figure for the first half of 2020 is SEK 56 million, according to NBC's calculations.

Most of those who reported to the police that they had been exposed to investment fraud last year were men aged 50-74.

- The fraudsters have systematic contact with those who have been persuaded to invest. They have websites that look very professional and make sure that the victim has access to a nice graph of how the money grows. They are very eloquent and convincing.

Criminal networks

80 percent of investment frauds have some form of international connection, that either the contact with the victim or the money transfers take place across national borders.

Why have these particular crimes increased?

- It is often criminal networks that are behind this, and they have probably had a great success with this. Then I think that many people may want to manage their money in a different way because they have had zero interest for a long time. You want to see the money increase, see an ad like this, and decide to try.