Impersonator charged in million-kronor fraud targeting elderly woman

An individual is facing charges in Örebro District Court after allegedly defrauding an 82-year-old woman in Uppsala of over one million kronor by impersonating Swedish singer Carola Häggkvist.

The victim reported the fraud in November 2023, noting that the illicit transfers began in early 2022. The perpetrator reportedly contacted the woman via Instagram and moved the conversation to Telegram. The victim stated in police interrogations that she felt safe communicating with the individual because the person expressed concern regarding her husband’s health following his stroke.

Under the guise of needing funds to purchase cryptocurrency tokens due to banking issues, the fraudster convinced the victim to make multiple transfers via Swish and bank transfers from both her own and her husband's accounts. The perpetrator promised repayment, which never materialized.