The article discusses the reasons behind the continuing engagement of individuals with phone scammers in Latvia, highlighting the significant financial losses incurred from such fraud.
The article examines the growing issue of phone scams in Latvia, where losses from online fraud exceeded 20 million euros last year. According to the State Police's representative, Solvita Sļadze, the most common type of fraud in 2025 was phone scams, which accounted for the highest financial losses. The piece lists various fraud types, placing investment scams and compromised messaging as significant threats as well, revealing a concerning trend where scammers operate in teams to deceive victims more effectively.
The report emphasizes that the situation is aggravated by the increasing organization among scammers who now frequently work in groups. They impersonate various official roles like bank employees or police officers, and use coordinated approaches to convince victims to unwittingly transfer their funds. Solvita Sļadze details how these scammers can target individuals who have access to sensitive company information, thus endangering not only the personal finances but potentially the whole organization's assets.
Uldis Lībietis, an IT security manager, provides a dangerous reminder that phone scams can exploit vulnerabilities in trust very effectively, making it hard for victims to recognize the fraud over the phone. This discussion sheds light on a critical issue affecting Latvians today as it not only involves financial loss but also the psychological toll of fear and loneliness that can lead individuals to engage with these scammers.
