Festival Explores Evolution of Fraud from 90s to Digital Age

The "Lampa" festival hosted a discussion titled "From 90s Scams to Today's Digital Fraud," examining how persuasion techniques have become more sophisticated while human susceptibility remains constant. The conversation brought together diverse experiences, featuring documentary director Ieva Ozoliņa and protagonists from her film "No One Will Be in Debt," SIA "Arvik" director Viktors Artamonovs and manager Jānis Jūrmalnieks.

They shared personal encounters with situations where trust, confusion, and well-crafted scam schemes led to costly lessons. Vadims Frolovs, head of Swedbank's customer service department, and cybersecurity expert Elviss Strazdiņš also contributed, explaining how fraudsters operate online, why they still succeed in convincing cautious individuals, and how to protect oneself and others.

Part of the discussion was conducted in Russian with Latvian translation provided. The "Lampa" festival, held in Cēsis, featured approximately 400 events addressing the central question, "What Should Not Be Talked About?" The festival aims to foster a culture of democracy, discussion, and respectful dialogue in Latvia.