Lapland police have brought to light a large-scale fraud case in which a man posed as the owner of caravans and camper vans that actually belonged to others selling them as his own.
Published: 14/08/25 | 13:08
The case that is now forwarded to the prosecutor’s office involves 25 charges of fraud, 20 of money laundering and 16 of identity theft.
According to police reports the suspect would often take photos of camper vans parked along roadsides, track down the owners’ details and then advertise the vehicles for sale under the guise of being the rightful owner. To pressure buyers he cited the strong demand for caravans and cars pushing them to make fast decisions.
In nearly every transaction the suspect demanded down payments or reservation fees. Instead of having the money transferred directly into his personal account he made use of several intermediaries or “money mules,” whose involvement is also under investigation.
The total financial loss caused by the scheme amounts to about 80,000 euros of which authorities and banks have managed to recover and return around 19,000 euros to the victims.
The offenses took place between the summer of 2023 and the summer of 2025.
