Police in region Mitt are expanding their popular volunteer pilot project, which informs elderly people about phone scams, to Uppsala in 2026. The project began in Västerås due to high demand for information. Fraud is one of the most common crimes investigated, with profits reaching about 5.7 billion kronor in 2025.
Police are dealing with a high volume of fraud reports, facilitated by easy payment solutions but exploited by criminals. These crimes generated profits of about 5.7 billion kronor in 2025. Linnéa Löfblad, a criminologist and crime prevention coordinator for fraud in region Mitt, stresses the importance of knowledge to counter increasingly sophisticated tactics.
"Criminals' main weapon is stress; ours is knowledge of how fraud works and the warning signs or checks we can do to detect them," Löfblad says.
The Västerås pilot trained volunteers to build pensioners' resilience. The evaluation found participants gained broader understanding, valued in-person meetings, and engaged in post-session discussions. Many were already aware of fraud but learned more about its methods.
"Many fraud victims feel shame, but it's not always easy to recognize when it's a scam," Löfblad adds, noting that anyone can be targeted and knowledge reduces stigma.
The project will continue in 2026 and launch in Uppsala, with a recorded lecture by Löfblad available to everyone.
