The Finnish police have opened a criminal investigation into the actions of a well-known gold buyer, Kultahopea, following sales made in Hämeenlinna in January, as reported by Aamulehti. The investigation centers around a transaction involving a collection of jewelry brought in by an elderly customer, which has raised several red flags due to the unconventional process. It was reported that no scales were used to weigh the gold, nor was the purity of the jewelry verified at the time of sale, as the buyer claimed there was not enough time to conduct these essential checks.

The customer received a payment of only 150 euros for the jewelry, while expert estimates suggested that the total value of the items could exceed 11,000 euros. Crime Commissioner Ari Pullinen from the Hämeenlinna police has indicated that there are suspicions regarding the misleading representation of the amount of gold being sold. This incident has led the police to investigate whether this could be part of a broader pattern of fraudulent practices by the company, examining whether similar tactics have been employed in other transactions.

The significant discrepancy in the values prompts concerns about potential fraud, with the authorities emphasizing the need to ascertain the true amount of gold that was meant to be transacted. The outcome of this investigation could not only impact the parties involved but also raise awareness about the practices of gold buying companies in Finland, potentially leading to regulatory scrutiny in this sector.