How to Report Cybercrime and Online Fraud in Finland (2026)
Scammed or hacked in Finland? Who to call (112, police helpline 0295 419 800), how to report to the police and NCSC-FI, and how to try to get your money back.
Finland is one of the most digitalised countries in Europe, and scammers have adapted accordingly: police have warned of fraudsters impersonating officials on video calls to pressure people into moving money, alongside the more familiar flood of phishing texts and fake investment pitches. If you have been scammed or hacked in Finland, this guide shows you exactly who to contact, how to preserve evidence, and how to try to get your money back. Act fast: the sooner you tell your bank, the better your odds.
Primary sources: Poliisi: fraud guidance · National Cyber Security Centre Finland (Traficom) · Finanssivalvonta (FIN-FSA) · Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman
On this page
First: stop the loss
- Contact your bank or card issuer immediately. If you sent money or shared card or online-banking details, call the number on your card or statement, report the fraud, and ask them to stop or recall the payment and freeze the account. For card payments, ask about a chargeback. Our chargeback guide explains how.
- Stop all contact with the scammer. Never send more money to "release" or "verify" funds, and never install remote-access software or read out a banking code to a caller. That is the scam. Block the number, email and account.
- Secure your accounts by changing passwords, signing out other devices and turning on two-step verification. If you clicked a link, see what to do after clicking a phishing link.
- Keep evidence: emails, texts, payment references, names, numbers and account details.
Who to report to
- Emergency or a crime in progress: call 112.
- Fraud and other crime: file an online crime report (rikosilmoitus) at poliisi.fi using strong authentication, call the police advice line on 0295 419 800, or report in person at a police station. Note that the online reporting service is unavailable between 22:45 and 06:00. Ask for a reference number for any bank or insurance claim.
- Phishing, a hacked account or another cyber incident: report it to the National Cyber Security Centre Finland (NCSC-FI), part of the regulator Traficom, using the online reporting form.
- Investment fraud or an unregistered firm: check warnings from Finanssivalvonta (FIN-FSA), the Finnish Financial Supervisory Authority. Its "report a suspected infringement" channel is a regulatory tool, not a way to recover lost money, so if you have actually lost money, report the crime to the police as well.
Reporting does not by itself return your money, but it creates an official record and feeds national intelligence. Report even if you did not lose money, because the information still helps stop the next victim.
Getting your money back
Finland uses the euro (EUR). How you paid decides your options, and speed is everything.
| How you paid | What to do |
|---|---|
| Bank transfer | Call your bank within minutes to try to stop or recall the payment. Ask whether it will reimburse you, and claim. |
| Debit or credit card | Ask your card issuer for a chargeback and dispute the transaction in writing. Card payments carry the strongest protection. |
| Crypto, cash app or gift cards | Rarely recoverable. Report to the platform and the police at once, and beware "recovery agents" who contact you, that is usually a second scam. |
There is no automatic refund simply because you report a scam. File a police report, make a formal claim with your bank in writing, and escalate a refused claim through the bank's complaints process.
Scams that hit Finland
Finnish police and FIN-FSA have repeatedly warned about:
- Fake-official video-call scams, where fraudsters pose as a bank employee, police officer or other authority on a video call to pressure victims into transferring money or handing over banking credentials.
- Investment and social-media investment fraud, often advertised through fake celebrity endorsements or cloned trading platforms, flagged repeatedly by FIN-FSA.
- Phishing and smishing, scam emails and texts impersonating banks, delivery firms and public services. See how the messaging works in our explainer on how phishing works and how to stop it.
The law and your data
Unauthorised access to a computer system in Finland, known as tietomurto, is an offence under Chapter 38, section 8 of the Criminal Code (Rikoslaki, 39/1889), punishable by a fine or up to one year in prison, with a heavier penalty for the aggravated form. Your personal data is protected under GDPR as applied in Finland, overseen by the Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman, which organisations must notify of a serious personal data breach within 72 hours via the Turvalomake secure reporting channel.
FAQ
I lost money to an investment scam. Should I report it to FIN-FSA?
Report the fraud itself to the police, since FIN-FSA's infringement channel is a regulatory tool for supervising firms, not a route to recovering your money. You can also flag the firm or platform to FIN-FSA so it can warn others.
My email or social media was hacked. Who do I tell?
Secure the account first: change the password, sign out other devices and turn on two-step verification. Report the incident to NCSC-FI, and to the police if money, identity or business communications were affected.
I only got a suspicious message and lost nothing. Should I still report it?
Yes. Reporting phishing texts and emails to NCSC-FI, and scam calls or messages to the police, helps track offenders and warn others. Do not click the link and block the sender.
Sources: Poliisi (fraud guidance) · National Cyber Security Centre Finland (Traficom) · Finanssivalvonta (FIN-FSA) · Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman · Rikoslaki, finlex.fi
If you have been targeted, you are not alone. See our country-by-country cybercrime help hub for step-by-step reporting and recovery guides.