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Investors are said to have paid more than NOK 50 million for real estate projects in eastern Norway. The money has largely not been earmarked for these real estate projects, according to Økokrim.
The man, who is in his late 30s, is a former CEO, chairman of the board and owner of a real estate company.
The man’s partner has also been charged and searches have been made at various addresses.
– They seem very professional
Investment fraud is a very widespread form of fraud. Scammers often appear to the outside world as very professional with, among other things, good offices and many employees.
– In this case, the defendant had offices in Oslo and many employees. The professionalism they show leads investors to trust that the money they lend is a safe investment, says the prosecutor in the case, Attorney General Marianne Bender.
– People must be careful with investments.
Bender tells NRK that he cannot comment on the details of the case.
– It is important that it is widely known that these types of scams are widespread and that people should be careful about where they invest their savings, says Bender.
The man’s defender, Henrik Boehlke, tells NRK that he has no comment on the case so far.
In Økokrim’s Threat Assessment for 2020, it is noted that the use of the property to commit fraud has proven to be lucrative in Norway.
According to Finanstilsynet, investments in counterfeit companies amounted to NOK 92 million in 2018.
