Greenland (GL)
Greenland is the world's largest island and an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, known for its vast ice sheet, dramatic fjords, and indigenous Greenlandic (Kalaallit) culture.
Scam Warnings
Common scams targeting expats in Greenland.
Housing is genuinely scarce in Greenland, which makes rental scams unusually effective — never pay a deposit without viewing and confirming the landlord's authority. Greenland uses the Danish MitID digital identity system: never approve a MitID login request you did not initiate yourself. Verify every job offer and recruiter through the official SIRI/nyidanmark.dk permit process before paying any fee.
Fake rental or sublet deposit
criticalA scammer advertises a scarce apartment or room in Nuuk, Sisimiut, Ilulissat or another Greenlandic town at an attractive price. Because housing supply is genuinely limited, prospective tenants feel pressure to pay a deposit quickly to "secure" the place before someone else does. The scammer disappears after receiving the transfer, and the property was never theirs to rent.
- - Landlord claims to be off-island and cannot arrange a live or video viewing
- - Pressure to pay immediately or the room goes to another applicant
- - No written lease, no authority document and no verifiable local reference
- - Payment requested to a foreign or personal bank account rather than a local Greenlandic account
- - Price is noticeably below comparable rentals from known local agents
Work permit and job offer fee scam
criticalA fake recruiter contacts you by email or social media offering a Greenlandic job in fishing, construction, healthcare or research. They claim they can guarantee a work and residence permit if you pay an upfront visa fee, medical examination fee or placement charge. Greenland work permits are processed through SIRI (the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration) via nyidanmark.dk; no legitimate employer ever charges a candidate a permit fee.
- - Job offer arrives unsolicited from a personal email domain rather than a company domain
- - Guarantee of a work permit in exchange for an upfront fee
- - No verifiable company name, CVR number or physical Greenlandic address
- - Contract details are vague or the salary seems disproportionately high
- - Request for personal documents such as a passport scan before a formal offer
MitID phishing — bank, tax and parcel impersonation
criticalMessages impersonating a bank, the Danish Tax Authority (Skattestyrelsen), a parcel courier or MitID support ask you to click a link and approve a login or enter your credentials. Danish authorities confirmed a wave of such phishing attacks in 2025, including SMS messages impersonating energy companies and banks urging you to "renew your MitID password" to avoid suspension. MitID push notifications you did not initiate yourself are a sign that a scammer is already trying to log in to one of your accounts.
- - Message asks you to click a link to log in or to approve a MitID authentication you did not start
- - Sender domain does not match the official organisation (e.g. not mitid.dk or the bank's known domain)
- - Threat of immediate account closure, tax penalty or parcel return unless you act now
- - Link leads to a page that asks for full password, card details or MitID credentials
- - Request comes via SMS or email — banks and MitID never ask for credentials by message
Shipping and freight customs surprise
warningShipping to Greenland involves Arctic logistics, limited port windows, seasonal delays and import rules that differ from Danish mainland customs. Unscrupulous freight agents provide a low initial quote that excludes port handling fees, import duty, extended storage, fuel surcharges or winter delay costs. Scammers posing as freight agents also invoice for "customs clearance" of packages that do not exist.
- - Quote does not include a full itemised breakdown covering port fees, duty and insurance
- - Agent cannot provide a verifiable company registration or physical address
- - Invoice arrives for a package you are not expecting, requesting prepayment to release it
- - No written delivery responsibility clause specifying who bears the cost of delays or damage
- - Company lacks traceable reviews from Greenland-experienced shippers
Unqualified outdoor guide or tour operator
warningGreenland's wilderness tours — boat trips, dog sledding, ice sheet walks, northern lights excursions — can be life-threatening if led by unqualified operators. Some operators exaggerate their safety measures, provide no written cancellation or weather policy, or use cash-only pricing to avoid accountability.
- - No safety briefing, no emergency protocol and no equipment check before departure
- - No written cancellation policy for weather or ice conditions
- - Cash-only payment with no receipt, even for expensive multi-day tours
- - Operator cannot name their insurer or confirm guide certification
- - Reviews cannot be verified independently outside a single social-media page
Romance and social engineering scam
warningThe relatively small and close-knit expat community in Greenland can make new arrivals lonely and more susceptible to online relationships. Scammers create convincing profiles on dating apps or social media, build trust over weeks, then introduce an "emergency" requiring a bank transfer or request involvement in cryptocurrency investments.
- - Person you have met online never agrees to a video call or in-person meeting
- - Relationship moves very quickly with unusually intense personal declarations
- - Financial emergency arises — medical bills, flight costs, legal fees — requiring an urgent transfer
- - Requests to move conversation to WhatsApp or Telegram away from the original platform
- - Introduces a "sure-win" investment or crypto opportunity after gaining your trust
Fake investment or high-yield scheme
warningGreenland's growing mineral and energy investment profile attracts fraudsters who pitch fake stakes in mining, oil exploration or Arctic real estate projects. Schemes often use professional-looking websites with Greenland or Arctic branding to appear credible.
- - Guaranteed returns of 10% or more per month with no mention of risk
- - Pressure to invest quickly before a "limited window" closes
- - No verifiable company registration in Greenland or Denmark
- - Agent cannot name a regulated financial firm or fund administrator
- - Scheme relies primarily on recruiting new investors rather than real returns
Reporting
Where to report: Greenland Police (Grønlands Politi) — politi.gl, email grl-politi@politi.dk, emergency 70 14 48. For cybercrime involving Danish-linked services: Danish National Cyber Crime Centre (NC3) at politi.dk. Financial fraud: Danish Financial Supervisory Authority at finanstilsynet.dk.
Consumer helpline: Greenland Self-Government (Sullissivik, sullissivik.gl) handles municipal and administrative complaints. For consumer contract disputes with Danish-linked businesses, the Danish Competition and Consumer Authority (Konkurrence- og Forbrugerstyrelsen, en.kfst.dk) may be relevant. Greenland Police non-emergency advice: grl-politi@politi.dk.