What happens when being polite becomes exactly what a scammer is counting on?

Swedish police are taking an unusually direct approach to that question. Their latest fraud-prevention campaign is telling people, particularly those over 60, that they should stop worrying about appearing rude when something feels wrong. The message is simple but striking: hang up, ignore the message and shut the door when necessary.

The campaign is called Våga vara otrevlig, or “Dare to be nasty,” and it has returned as fraud continues to generate billions of kronor in criminal proceeds across Sweden.

Why Swedish police are telling people to stop being polite

The central idea behind the campaign is not about encouraging people to become hostile.

Instead, Swedish police want people to recognize that politeness can sometimes make it harder to react when an interaction suddenly feels suspicious.

Scammers can create pressure by sounding convincing. They may claim to represent a bank, the police, a government agency, a company or another organization the person already knows.

The conversation can then be pushed toward urgency.

A caller may make the victim feel that something has to be fixed immediately. A stranger at the door may appear to have a legitimate reason for being there. A suspicious text may instruct someone to call a number before they have time to stop and question what is happening.

Police say that is exactly where people need to be willing to interrupt the interaction.

The campaign’s full message is:

“Våga vara otrevlig – det kan rädda dig från att bli lurad,”

which translates roughly to “Dare to be nasty – it can save you from being scammed.”

The renewed campaign began on September 21, 2026, and runs through October 11.

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Four Swedish celebrities join the 2026 anti-scam campaign

The police have brought four recognizable Swedish personalities into the renewed campaign: Suzanne Reuter, Lennart Jähkel, Claes Elfsberg and Christina Schollin.

All four are participating without payment, according to Swedish police.

The campaign is a continuation of an effort launched in December 2025. Six other public figures previously helped police encourage older people to recognize and stop scam attempts.

Those participants were Agneta Sjödin, Janne Andersson, Lasse Åberg, Lotta Engberg, Marianne Rundström and Sverker Olofsson.

For the 2026 campaign, Suzanne Reuter is the first of the new participants to feature prominently.

Her involvement also carries a personal connection to the issue.

Reuter has spoken publicly about experiencing a scam attempt herself. She received a message that appeared to come from her son and urgently requested a money transfer.

Instead of acting immediately, Reuter became suspicious. She contacted her son using his normal telephone number and discovered that the message was fraudulent.

That experience reflects the exact kind of pressure Swedish police are warning people about: a familiar identity, an urgent request and an expectation that the recipient will act before checking the story.

Reuter also explained why the campaign’s unusual message matters.

“Many of us are raised to always be polite and accommodating,”

Reuter said, according to Swedish police.

She added that being more questioning is now necessary and described it as “self-protection” rather than rudeness.

Suspicious text messages can be the first step

For people over 60, Swedish police say phone fraud, also known as vishing, remains the most common type of fraud.

But the phone call does not necessarily arrive out of nowhere.

A scam can begin with a text message that appears to come from a bank, government agency, business or another trusted organization.

The message may claim there is an urgent problem and provide a telephone number for the recipient to call.

That is where police want people to stop.

They specifically advise people not to call the number included in a suspicious text message.

Instead, anyone who believes a message could be legitimate should independently locate the organization’s contact details through its official website or another trusted channel.

The reason is straightforward: the telephone number provided in the message may itself be part of the fraud.

Once a victim calls, they can be connected to a scammer using a prepared script. The conversation may then be designed to create anxiety and persuade the person to act quickly instead of taking time to verify what is happening.

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Police advice for suspicious messages and calls

Suspicious situation	Swedish police advice
A text tells you to call a number	Do not call the supplied number; find the organization’s legitimate contact details independently
An unknown message contains a link	Do not click unknown links
An unexpected caller asks you to log in	Do not log in because someone tells you to
An unexpected caller asks you to use BankID	Do not use BankID at the caller’s request
A caller claims to represent a bank, authority or family member	Hang up when something feels wrong
A stranger arrives asking to collect valuables	Do not let them inside

The scam can move from your phone to your front door

The warning does not stop with texts and telephone calls.

Swedish police are also highlighting scams in which criminals physically arrive at people’s homes while pretending to represent legitimate organizations.

One particularly concerning tactic involves claims that someone needs to collect gold, bank cards or other valuables for safekeeping.

Police say legitimate organizations do not come to people’s homes to collect gold or other valuables for protection.

That means an unexpected visitor making such a request should immediately raise concerns.

Police have documented cases involving criminals who impersonated police officers and claimed that valuables needed to be collected.

A 2025 police operation investigated suspects accused of posing as police officers and collecting bank cards and jewelry from older victims.

Warnings continued in 2026.

In one case, criminals reportedly used a story involving a cleaning service before valuables were handed over to a person who came to the victim’s home.

The campaign’s advice in such situations is deliberately uncomplicated: do not let strangers into your home.

Sweden’s fraud losses remain measured in billions

The unusual campaign slogan becomes easier to understand when placed against the scale of the problem.

Swedish police estimate that completed fraud offences reported in 2025 generated approximately 5.7 billion Swedish kronor in criminal proceeds.

That figure was lower than the previous two years, with police estimating approximately:

• 7.5 billion kronor in 2023
• 6.3 billion kronor in 2024
• 5.7 billion kronor in 2025

The figures show that fraud-related criminal proceeds have fallen for two consecutive years.

But police caution that the statistics must be interpreted carefully. Fraud that is never reported does not appear in the figures.

The 2025 estimate also included several different forms of fraud.

Investment fraud generated approximately 1.6 billion kronor, while romance fraud accounted for around 551 million kronor.

Vishing was estimated at approximately 320 million kronor, and CEO/BEC fraud at around 214 million kronor.

So although the overall estimated proceeds have declined, police continue to regard fraud against older people as a significant problem.

A wider police operation is targeting serious fraud

The Våga vara otrevlig campaign is not operating alone.

It is running alongside a broader national police operation focused on serious fraud and criminal networks.

Police say the wider effort is intended to disrupt criminal networks and make it more difficult for scammers to reach potential victims.

Authorities are also working with other organizations on the technology and infrastructure used in fraud.

In September, Swedish police said cooperation with the country’s Post and Telecom Agency, banks and telecommunications companies was being strengthened.

A newer legal framework also gives telecommunications operators obligations to stop calls and messages that can be assumed to be connected to fraud.

Robert Öhman, a national operations leader involved in the police’s anti-fraud work, has emphasized that the response needs to address several parts of the fraud system rather than focusing only on victims.

He also warned that scammers are becoming increasingly skilled at creating stress and trust.

That makes public awareness a significant part of prevention.

The five rules Swedish police want people to remember

At its heart, the campaign can be reduced to five basic actions.

1. Do not call back

When a suspicious text tells you to call a particular number, do not automatically follow the instruction.

Find the organization’s legitimate contact information independently.

2. Do not click unknown links

Police advise people not to click unfamiliar links in suspicious messages. Instead, contact the supposed sender through official channels.

3. Do not log in because someone tells you to

Police specifically warn against using BankID at the request of an unexpected caller.

4. Hang up when something feels wrong

A person claiming to represent a bank, authority or even a family member should not automatically be trusted simply because they sound convincing.

Ending the call gives you time to verify what is actually happening.

5. Do not let strangers into your home

Police specifically warn that legitimate organizations do not visit people’s homes to collect gold, bank cards or other valuables.

Anyone who suspects they have been targeted should report the incident to police.

For an ongoing crime in Sweden, police advise calling 112.

For a crime that is not currently taking place, the number is 114 14.

Why the “Dare to Be Nasty” message matters

The phrase Våga vara otrevlig may sound almost playful at first.

But the problem it is addressing is serious.

The campaign is deliberately challenging the instinct to remain polite and accommodating even when something feels wrong.

Swedish police are not telling people to treat everyone with suspicion or become hostile toward legitimate requests. Their message is that people should feel comfortable ending an unexpected interaction when they cannot verify who is contacting them.

That distinction is at the centre of the campaign.

A suspicious caller can be disconnected.

A questionable message can be ignored.

An unexpected visitor can be refused entry.

Information can be independently checked before any money, login details, BankID action or valuables are handed over.

The campaign will continue across newspapers, magazines, social media and Swedish television through October 11, giving the unusual slogan several more weeks to reach the people police believe are most vulnerable to these tactics.

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Conclusion

Sweden’s Våga vara otrevlig campaign turns an ordinary social instinct — the desire to be polite — into the central issue of its scam-prevention message.

The timing is significant. Police estimate that reported fraud offences generated approximately 5.7 billion Swedish kronor in criminal proceeds in 2025, even though that figure has fallen from the previous two years.

With scammers using phone calls, text messages, impersonation and doorstep tactics to create stress and trust, Swedish police are urging people to slow down rather than comply under pressure.

The message is ultimately simple: when something does not feel right, it is acceptable to hang up, refuse entry and independently verify the information.

Sometimes, police say, being “nasty” may simply mean protecting yourself.

Source Disclaimer

This article has been prepared based on thorough research of the sources provided with the original material, including information published by the Swedish Police Authority and relevant reporting available as of September 27, 2026. The article reflects the information and figures contained in those sources and does not imply independent verification beyond the material provided. Fraud statistics can change as cases are investigated and reported, and police warnings describe known methods rather than every possible scam tactic.

Sources

• Swedish Police Authority – 2026 “Våga vara otrevlig” campaign
• Swedish Police Authority – “Våga vara otrevlig” campaign information
• Swedish Police Authority – Fraud proceeds fall for second consecutive year
• Swedish Police Authority – National operation against large-scale fraud
• Swedish Police Authority – Warning about criminals impersonating police
• Femina – Suzanne Reuter’s experience with a scam attempt
• Dexerto

Featured Image Credit: RDNE Stock project / Pexels

Image 2 Credit: Polisen (Swedish Police Authority)