Klarna

What real Klarna communications look like

• Klarna states it will never ask you for your credentials over the phone, email or SMS. It also says never to give out your codes, passwords or personal information unless you are sure who you're dealing with
• The Klarna app is the source of truth. Open the app yourself (not through the message) and go to Profile, then Inbox. If a genuine email, text or other message is from Klarna, it will also be in your Inbox. If it isn't there, Klarna says do not open any links or follow the instructions
• Calls: stay on the call and open the app. A "verified" banner means the call is from Klarna. With no verified banner Klarna can't confirm the call is from it, and says to hang up. Call verification is on by default for iOS. Android users switch it on under Profile, then Security and privacy, then Call verification
• If you are asked to make an urgent payment, Klarna says to log in to the app and check for any outstanding payment before paying anything
• If someone contacts you claiming to be from Klarna and you're unsure, end the conversation and contact Klarna yourself through the customer service page or the app
• Klarna NZ customer service: 0800 854 745, Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm, closed on public holidays. 24/7 chat is available in the app
• Report a phishing attempt through Klarna's online scam-report form, and don't click links, download attachments or reply to the sender

Common spoof patterns

• Urgent warnings such as "account locked or suspended", "unusual activity detected" and "invoice overdue", with a link to a fake Klarna sign-in page. Klarna lists these as typical phishing, smishing (SMS) and vishing (phone) lures
• Impersonation of Klarna, banks, government agencies, police, tech support or delivery companies, pressing you for one-time codes, passwords or card details
• Robocalls that claim a problem with your Klarna account or suspicious activity and ask you to press a number or call back
• Fake online shops advertised on social media that take payment and send nothing, including shops that offer Klarna at checkout
• Messages that don't appear in your Klarna Inbox, or links that go to a website that doesn't match Klarna's
• Klarna's four warning questions: Is it unexpected? Are you being rushed? Is the website trustworthy? Is it too good to be true?

Note for NZ organisations

Klarna is a buy-now-pay-later service that staff and their families may use on personal accounts, often on a work phone or with a work email address. A fake "overdue invoice" message is easy to believe if someone has recently bought something. A stolen login also gives access to saved cards and the ability to spend on credit, which makes it more costly than an ordinary shopping account. If someone has typed their details into a page they're unsure about, Klarna's advice is to contact their bank or card issuer straight away, lock the Klarna account, change the password, turn on two-factor authentication, block the cards in the Klarna app, and report it to NZ Police.