Fraud, Computer Crime | Telenor warns:

Have you had a missed call, but it turned out that the person hadn’t called you? Almost half of call fraud takes place in this way, according to Telenor.

“Spoofing” is a fraud method where the fraudster hides behind a number that is fake, or that belongs to someone else. You don’t see the person calling their phone number.

If your mobile number should be “spoofed,” you may find that strangers contact you. They like to ask why you contacted them, even if you didn’t call.

– In the first quarter, Telenor Norway blocked 11.1 million fraud attempts, Julie Hæhre, information manager at Telenor, tells Nettavisen.

According to Hæhre, almost half of call-based fraud attempts are spoofing.

Fake numbers

You often get Norwegian phone numbers on the screen, but the fraudsters are usually based abroad. They use online tools or software to change the number and country code.

– Many people find this very unpleasant, but it does not mean that your number has been hacked or stolen, says Hæhre.

Telenor stopped over half a billion attempts at digital crime

You will normally be presented with a “problem” that they will solve for you, and ask for personal information for this purpose. The information you provide can later be misused.

– They can say, for example, that they have discovered an ongoing fraud attempt on your bank account, and that they must have Bank-ID to be able to stop this, says Hæhre.

– Never share information

– Regardless of what is claimed in the inquiry, you must never provide personal information or card details. Also never download anything on request or give strangers access to the computer or the like, says Hæhre.

She also recommends that you contact your telephone and internet provider if you receive many such calls.

– At Telenor, we have an opportunity to block unwanted, international calls, before they are forwarded to phones located in our network, Hæhre continues.