Sweden Tells Citizens to Be Ruder to Phone Scammers as Fraud Losses Mount

The campaign responds to the scale of the losses involved. Swedish law enforcement says fraudsters take about 5.7 billion Swedish krona a year, equivalent to roughly £431 million or $575.3 million, and many of those crimes begin with a phone call.

People over 60 are the group most often targeted. According to TechRadar, the criminals behind these schemes exploit older victims' trust in institutions by posing as government agencies or banks, and often make first contact through a text message. When the recipient calls the number given in the message, the scammers work from prepared scripts to convince the victim that the call matters, applying pressure and panic to push them into handing over money.

Four public figures are taking part: actress Christina Schollin, journalist Claes Elfsberg, actor Lennart Jähkel and comedian and actress Suzanne Reuter. All four share one characteristic with the core group of scam victims, since they too are over 60. Reuter is the first to appear in the campaign.

"I'm in the police campaign because it's a terrible crime that affects so many people. If I can use my voice to help someone not be fooled, then I want to do it," Reuter said. "Many of us are raised to always be polite and accommodating, and there are many of my generation. But today you have to dare to be a little more questioning." She added: "It's not nasty - it's self-protection."

Swearing is only one option the campaign offers. Over-60s are also taught to recognise the moment they are being scammed, and are told that simply ending the call or telling a fake police officer to go away are equally good responses. Being rude to a stranger on the phone does not come naturally to Swedes, which is why the campaign is being fronted by familiar faces from television and film rather than officials alone.