Research project on cyber-enabled crime and its juridical prevention (VARJO)

Cyber-enabled fraud has become more common rapidly in recent years, and it is an increasingly organized, international and technologically advanced phenomenon. Criminals use issues such as artificial intelligence, botnets and sophisticated deception methods to effectively reach victims across national borders. In Finland, several different parties are involved in the prevention of cyber-enabled fraud, from the authorities to the financial sector and non-governmental organizations, but the overview of the current situation with the phenomenon and of the overall structures of its prevention is fragmented.

The project coordinated by the University of Vaasa will produce a current, multidisciplinary and comprehensive overview of the situation with cyber-enabled fraud crime in Finland. The objective is to improve the conditions for combating cyber-enabled fraud through co-operation between the authorities, the financial sector and citizens. In the project, the Police University College is responsible for a work package that examines the co-operation structures and roles of various parties involved in the prevention of cyber-enabled crime, the possibilities for enhancing co-operation and the need for developing regulation.

The project will produce an overview model of the current situation for the continuous monitoring of cyber-enabled frauds, and policy recommendations for use by different parties. The results of the project will support the implementation of the cyber security strategy of the Government of Finland, the development of crime prevention policy and the strengthening of citizens’ digital security.

Timescale: June 2025 – May 2026

Project partners: University of Vaasa and Pellervo Economic Research PTT

Funding: Government’s analysis, assessment and research activities (VN Tutkiva)

Contact person at the Police University College: Researcher Kimmo Kuukasjärvi. Email in the format [email protected].