Former Bank of Finland Governor Erkki Liikanen fell victim to a sophisticated fraud scheme last year. Criminals stole approximately 40,000 euros from his account in what authorities describe as an aggravated fraud case.
Police confirmed they are investigating the incident that occurred in April. The scam targeted Liikanen's Danske Bank account through a security account fraud scheme.
Security account fraud tricks victims into believing their funds are at risk. Scammers then convince targets to transfer money to what they claim are secure accounts. In reality, these accounts belong to the criminals.
Liikanen immediately reported the crime to police after discovering the theft. Authorities verified they have a similar case from last spring under investigation. Police declined to name the victim in their official statements.
This case highlights how even financial experts can fall prey to sophisticated scams. The criminals clearly targeted someone with substantial banking experience and resources.
Liikanen served as Finland's central bank governor from 2004 through 2018. His long career in financial regulation makes this theft particularly surprising.
Financial scams have become increasingly common across Nordic countries. Security account fraud remains one of the most prevalent methods used by criminals targeting bank customers.
What protections do banks offer against such sophisticated fraud schemes? Most financial institutions have security measures, but determined scammers often find ways around them.
Police continue their investigation into the security account fraud case. They urge all bank customers to verify any unusual account security requests directly with their financial institutions.