Denmark warns of sharp rise in smishing and online fraud targeting citizens

smishing data breach Sydbank fraud alerts Denmark password security

The Danish National Unit for Special Crime (NCIK) recorded a record 1,367 smishing complaints in June, the highest since monitoring began in 2022. The surge follows 445 reports in April and 394 in May, compared with only 187 in June last year. Fraudsters impersonate companies such as Q‑Park, APCOA, DAO and the health app Min Læge, sending links that direct recipients to webpages where personal data or payment details can be harvested. Police advise users to avoid clicking links in SMS or email and to open official sites directly in a browser.

A YouGov survey for Gjensidige found that 32 % of Danes have been notified of a data breach in the past three years, and 28 % of those took no action after being warned. Experts urge changing passwords immediately, using unique passwords for each service, and enabling two‑factor authentication.

Sydbank issued two alerts: one about fake investment groups that start on Instagram and move to WhatsApp, and another about bogus parking‑fine messages claiming to be from Q‑Park, DSV, GLS, DAO and APCOA. The bank recommends never entering personal or card details via links and contacting the bank through official channels if in doubt.