Denmark online fraud uses real business identities to scam consumers

A new online fraud scheme is targeting consumers in Denmark by using legitimate business identities to sell products through deceptive websites. An investigation by TjekDet has identified at least five active websites linked to one another that mimic real companies to appear credible.

Scammers are misappropriating names, addresses, and CVR numbers from existing Danish businesses to sell items such as firewood, containers, lawnmowers, and chainsaws. This allows victims to verify the business details via official registries, unaware that the websites themselves are fraudulent. One victim, a business owner in Falster, reported that over 40 people contacted him after purchasing firewood from a fake site using his company's credentials.

The fraudulent operations utilize Facebook advertisements that have reached hundreds of thousands of views, supported by pages with over 200,000 followers, many of which appear to be fake or foreign. Payments are typically requested via bank transfers to Danish accounts to increase the appearance of legitimacy.