Advance-Fee Scams in Sweden
Classic advance-fee fraud targeting Swedish residents with fake lottery prizes, EU grants, or business windfalls requiring SEK upfront payments.
Part of: Advance Fee Scams
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Advance-fee scams targeting Swedish residents arrive via email and SMS in Swedish, claiming fabricated Systembolaget prize draws, EU Horizon grants, or IKEA supplier contracts. Each round of SEK fees produces a new invented obstacle, exploiting the victim's reluctance to abandon sunk costs.
Konsumentverket and Polisen track advance-fee complaints. Swedish residents are more likely to trust pitches referencing well-known Swedish institutions or brands, which fraudsters exploit with sophisticated Swedish-language correspondence.
How this scam works on Sweden
An email claims the recipient has won an IKEA, Volvo, or Swedish government-linked prize draw and must pay SEK notary and transfer fees to release their winnings. Each payment is followed by a new 'final' fee requirement.
Other variants target Swedish businesses with fake Vinnova (Swedish innovation agency) or EU Horizon grant notifications, requiring advance payment of application processing or compliance fees.
Some campaigns use forged Swedish government letterheads to add apparent legitimacy to demand letters.
Common red flags
- Unsolicited prize notification from an IKEA, Volvo, or Swedish government draw you never entered
- Request for SEK advance fees to release a larger prize or grant amount
- Escalating fees with each claimed 'final processing stage'
- Forged Swedish government or Vinnova letterhead in an unsolicited email
- Contact insists on strict secrecy citing 'Swedish regulatory requirements'
- Email domain not matching any verifiable Swedish institutional address
How to protect yourself
- Delete unsolicited prize or grant emails without engaging
- Verify Vinnova grants only at vinnova.se
- Contact IKEA or any other named company directly via their official website to verify any prize claim
- Never pay fees to receive a prize — legitimate lotteries deduct taxes from winnings, not before payment
- Report to Konsumentverket at konsumentverket.se and Polisen at polisen.se
How to report it
- Report to Polisen at polisen.se
- File a complaint with Konsumentverket at konsumentverket.se
- Alert the Swedish company whose name is misused directly
Frequently asked questions
Do Swedish companies like IKEA or Volvo run unsolicited prize draws?
Legitimate prize draws by Swedish companies are publicly advertised, require entry, and winnings are paid directly without advance fees. Unsolicited prize notifications requesting payment are always fraudulent.