Trust and Safety in Denmark | LWID S3E15

This week on Last Week In Denmark, co-hosts Narcis and Golda explore how Denmark is responding to new threats and shifting trust — from national policy to personal security and local action. They unpack three standout stories: the country’s surprising return to nuclear power after 40 years, a rise in scams affecting 6% of the population in 2024, and the emergence of volunteer wolf patrols to protect sheep in rural areas.

It’s a bite-sized look at how systems, communities, and individuals are stepping up to protect what matters — all from the perspective of internationals living in Denmark.

In this episode:

1. Nuclear power is coming back to Denmark after 40 years  (01:51)
2. 6% of the people in Denmark have been scammed in 2024 (10:12)
3. Volunteer wolf patrols will protect the sheep (21:10)

❓ Have questions, ideas or feedback?

Email us at lastweekdk@gmail.com.

👀 Subscribe to the newsletter (available in multiple languages!) https://lastweekdk.substack.com/

Follow us on the socials:

✨Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/last_week_in_denmark/

🎉Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lastweekindenmark

👉LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lastweekindenmark

Get involved with our events and publications:

⭐Website: https://lwid.dk/

Chapters

• 1:51 Nuclear power is coming back to Denmark after 40 years
• 10:12 6% of the people in Denmark have been scammed in 2024
• 21:10 Volunteer wolf patrols will protect the sheep

Transcript

Golda:
Hello and welcome to Last Week in Denmark. I am the host, Golda Fenia, and I'm here with Narcis.

Narcis:
Hello. Hello. Hello.

Golda:
How have you been?

Narcis:
How you been? I'm actually, this time, recording from a voting section. We're having Romanian presidential elections this weekend, so I took off for a couple of minutes from there so that we can have our usual weekend conversation, you can say. So I'm looking forward to hear—how are you? Are you back to Europe, by the way?

Golda:
I am. I'm actually in London, so I'm back home after our lovely trip, and I came back with the sunshine because it's actually been really, really good weather here in London for the past few weeks.

Narcis:
We need some of that in Denmark. Unfortunately, it was very, very sunny for a bit. It was like a teaser, you know? And now it's dreadfully cold again, so that's not great. But, you know, we just hope better times are coming ahead. Yeah, let's see what the future brings us. So, Golda, what are the three topics for today? What are we discussing?

Golda:
Yeah, you're talking about better times, and I was just thinking about these three topics and I was like, okay—well, the three topics for today's episode are:

1. Nuclear power is coming back to Denmark,
2. 6% of scam victims were in 2024, and
3. Volunteer wolf patrols will protect the sheep.

Narcis:
Volunteer wolf patrols. Damn.

Golda:
I know! I think we should just dive into it because I'm really interested in this first topic. After 40 years of hiatus, Denmark is reconsidering its stance on nuclear energy. So, as of April 2025, a Danish investment fund announced that they plan to raise €350 million to support the development of small advanced nuclear technology. And also, public opinion about this has actually shifted, with a recent poll indicating that 55% of Danes would approve the construction of nuclear power plants in the country. Hmm. What are your thoughts? What are you thinking?

Narcis:
I mean, it's interesting because the youth culture in those times—70s and 80s—was heavily based on this movement against atomic energy. Like, the young people back then spent a lot of time organizing events and street protests. It was a complete movement—Atomkraft? Nej tak—right? A very strong movement. And it actually led to a success, which was banning atomic energy in Denmark.
Of course, this came after several disasters, especially Chernobyl and the waste it left behind. It really made people think, “Okay, is this a technology we should be tinkering with?”
Now it’s interesting to see the same people who once fought to ban it are now speaking in favor of it—in their 60s, 70s, or even older.
There's a big ideological divide now. The right-wing parties—like Venstre, the Conservatives, Moderates—they're very much in favor of nuclear coming back.
While the left-wing parties—Social Democrats, Socialists, Social Liberals—they believe we should focus on increasing wind and solar power instead.
That’s always going to be the debate: wind and solar versus nuclear. But technology has evolved a lot. I’d say the safety of nuclear energy has changed in the last decades. So now it’s a question of—is it safe enough for us to be building nuclear power plants in Denmark? What do you think?

Golda:
That's exactly my thought. Like, I don't know how I feel about it right now. Are we sure that it's safe enough? And I'm also thinking in terms of climate change and the direction we were heading with green energy.
I'm not an expert—so don’t quote me—but I was thinking, how does this align with the agendas we have for the future?
I get that the move toward nuclear is about meeting growing electricity demand, especially with the expansion of data centers and other heavy industries.
But is this the most sustainable way? Is this what we want to do? That would be my biggest question.

Narcis:
I feel like we don’t know enough yet. The political debate has started, but there need to be campaigns to inform the population. We need to understand what it actually means to say yes to nuclear energy.
I have a feeling they may need to consider a referendum. Some parties might suggest, “Okay, you want nuclear in Denmark? Let’s vote on it.”
That would mean educating people first—getting everyone informed to make a real choice.
Fair enough, nuclear energy has become cleaner, safer, cheaper, and more sustainable than even wind and solar.
But the big issue here is psychological. Are we ready to trust that it’s now safe and the better option? Or are we still living in the fear we had decades ago?
Most of us base our understanding of nuclear power on pop culture and disasters, not on up-to-date science. I mean—I don’t know, Golda—do you keep up with the latest science?

Golda:
Not necessarily on nuclear, but I do consider myself a bit of a science nerd. My updates are more about space—like, are we going to Mars or not?
But yeah, I agree. The average person is not sitting around reading science news to that level.

Narcis:
Exactly. So how do we expect to know more about nuclear energy when most of our knowledge comes from movies?

Golda:
You're right. That's probably a challenge for all of us—to really inform ourselves, especially when big decisions like this are coming up.

Narcis:
Yeah. And in Europe, we have to consider every option. We need to be energy independent from Russia. But we also might not be receiving liquefied gas from the US either.
So if we want to stand on our own, we need to invest in nuclear—unless we find another way.
Sure, continue expanding wind and solar. But nuclear has to be on the table.
But here's a question, Golda—how would you feel if they built a nuclear power plant behind your house?

Golda:
That's... that's the question.
Would I feel comfortable? As of now, no. But I may be misinformed.
When I hear “nuclear,” I hear “potential danger.” So we'll see what happens.
It's definitely a call for listeners to do a little Google search—or even ask ChatGPT—to understand what nuclear energy actually means and why 55% of Danes approve of it.

Golda:
And that brings us into the next topic, which I literally made a post about last week on my Instagram—digital fraud. Yes.
Digital fraud has become a pressing issue in Denmark. According to a 2024 report by the Global Anti-Scam Alliance, one in five Danes have fallen victim to online scams. These scams range from phishing emails to fake online stores and more sophisticated schemes involving AI-generated content.
And the reason I made that post last week is because I got a call from “PayPal”—and it was clearly a digital voice. And not even one of the good AIs—it was like, I know you're an AI trying to tell me to approve a purchase I didn't make. I don’t even use PayPal like that!
When I posted it on Instagram, I pointed out that not everyone gets cybersecurity training like we do. At my job, we get training every three months because we handle highly classified patient data. So I'm constantly looking out for fake emails and scam calls. But not everyone is in that position.
I was thinking about the older generation, about people who are uninformed. What are your thoughts? Have you ever fallen prey to scammers?

Narcis:
No, no. I mean, I’m quite difficult to scam, I would say. But they’re really trying their best.
First of all, if I open my phone, there are several SMS messages that look serious enough—some claiming to be from the police (Politi), some from PostNord, some from Amazon. They try all sorts of companies that seem familiar. There’s always a message with a link in it.
It’s very simple—just don’t press any links that you receive via SMS. Literally. I decided that from now on, no matter what—real or fake—I will never press a link in an SMS. Period.

Narcis:
That's your first thing to do, right?
Second, they try calling me multiple times because my number is also used as a company number. And because of that, it’s been added to a lot of different databases. They try various ways—sometimes claiming to be the police, sometimes the taxi authorities, and sometimes it’s just some robotic nonsense I hang up on immediately.
Some pretend to know a lot about you, and if you’re not alert, you can fall for it. You have to always be aware—never say “yes” on the phone. If they manage to record you saying “yes” during a call, they can use that recording to sign multiple contracts.
That’s all it takes. In Denmark, we have verbal agreement laws—so saying “yes” on a call can be legally binding.

Then there are the emails. I don’t think I get a single email without someone trying to scam me. Lately, they noticed we have a website at Punctum.dk, and they’ve cloned it.
 It’s from a different server, but it shows up as Punctum.dk when I land on it. It says, “Pay now or your site goes offline”—and of course, there’s a link.

The best thing to do—unless it’s from a trusted source like Last Week in Denmark—is don’t click links in emails. Don’t download attachments unless you’re really sure who it’s from.
Just opening an attachment can give them access to your computer.

If you’re using a work computer, avoid personal social media, personal emails, or searching random things. You’re putting your company’s data at risk.
 There’s a wave of cyberattacks in Denmark targeting associations. Let’s say I’m a treasurer in an association—they find that out from a public site and target me until they get in. Once they’re in my computer, they’re one step away from accessing the association’s bank account.

That just happened—one million krona transferred out of an association’s account.
 And it’s not the only case. A lot of associations are volunteer-run. They don’t have the time or budget for cybersecurity training.
 So they fall for these scams.

But have you been scammed, Golda?

Golda:
Not personally. Like I said, after they tried to call me and I hung up, then they sent me several emails—and now I just delete.
I don’t even think about it, like, “Should I open this or not?” I just delete. I click spam.
Because I’ve had a lot of training, as I mentioned.

But I do know people close to me who have gotten scammed—who’ve dealt with fake buyers or fake sellers.
 They’ve sent money and never received the item they bought. Or they’ve sent an item and never got paid.

And the emotional toll is real. People feel guilty, they feel shame.
 They ask, “How could I fall for that?”

So I think it’s good we’re bringing awareness to this. I really think it’s the responsibility of the public sector—especially the government—to help citizens with this.
 And companies, if you can, try to offer some basic cybersecurity training to your employees.

It’s becoming more advanced. And now with AI cloning people’s voices, I think we’re going to see a lot more. A lot more.

Narcis:
This is the beginning of this.

Golda:
Yeah, I think it's going to get even worse.
So, sorry for the Alpha generation—but we really need to train people and help them set healthy boundaries, some of which you mentioned as well.

Narcis:
Yeah. And to be honest, you mentioned fake buyers and sellers, but there's also a huge number of cloned e-commerce websites in the Danish market.
A lot of people accidentally buy from fake sites. It happens more often than you'd think.
The only way to protect yourself is to check if the site has a CVR number. In Denmark, companies are legally required to list their CVR number, address, and contact details.
If that’s missing—it’s probably fake.
Go to CVR.dk, type in the number, and see what company it links to.
That’s a really simple early-stage check, especially for sites you’ve never used before.

Golda:
Yeah, exactly.

Narcis:
If it’s too cheap to be true, it probably is. It’s not that you found someone to fool—we all try to find deals—but you’ve got to ask: why is it cheaper?
Is someone skipping costs? Is it even legit?
If everyone else sells that product at a higher price, why would someone sell it way cheaper?
That should trigger alarm bells.
Business is about making a margin. If it’s drastically cheaper, something’s off.

Golda:
I agree.

Narcis:
Why would they do that?

Golda:
Exactly.

Narcis:
You know, especially from a website you don't know—more often than not, those offers come from lesser-known webshops that are just really good at Google SEO.
You type in a product name, and they pop up. Then it’s up to you whether or not you get tricked.
That’s why digital fraud is such a huge problem in Denmark.

And as you said, we’re still in the early stages of cybersecurity threats.
 Denmark has already raised its alert level to 4 out of 5—not just for private businesses, but also for infrastructure and individuals.

So the question is: how much effort does a person need to put in to protect their accounts or avoid being tricked into a money transfer?
 The harder it is to scam you, the less worth it is for them.

They think like businesspeople, too. They ask: how many resources do I have?
 If I invest this much effort, will I make a profit? Will I pay my hackers?
 It’s a business—just like any other.

Golda:
It is. And as we’re speaking about protecting yourself, that actually takes us to our last topic—which is that volunteer wolf patrols will protect the sheep.
Interestingly enough, as the wolf population re-establishes itself in Denmark, conflicts between wolves and livestock have increased.

In response, volunteer wolf patrols have been organized to protect sheep and other livestock from wolf attacks.
 These patrols aim to monitor wolf activity and implement non-lethal deterrents to prevent predation.

I kind of like this community approach.

Narcis:
Okay, the whole wolf patrol just sounds funny to me. I mean, I imagine—first we started with community patrols, then we had the Night Ravens patrolling party streets, and now we’ve got a new hobby for the outdoorsy types.
Like, “Hey guys, we’re allowed to patrol wolves now! And if we have a hunting license, we can shoot if we’re in danger!”
So I imagine a surge of local wolf militias. Another excuse to run away from home and drink with your buddies.
Yes, some farmers lose sheep. But what exactly are the patrols going to do? Walk around the farm at night? What’s the practical plan here?

Golda:
That's a very good question. But honestly, I kind of like that there's a sense of purpose and community.
There’s not a lot to do in Denmark, so this is one more thing to add to the volunteer list.
Remember how we talked about how many Danes volunteer? I think it’s cool.
I don’t know how it’s practically going to work, but maybe they’ll team up with farmers—like, “Hey, I’ve got the night shift, so you can sleep peacefully.”

Narcis:
Yeah, it’s another way to bring people together. Who knows—maybe even internationals will join and make Danish friends.
We could make a campaign: “Join the Wolf Patrol—Make a Danish Friend!”
But there’s a danger too. What if these patrols become farmer militias?
You know, first they come for the wolves, then for the socialists, then for the LGBTQ community...
You know that old saying. In the name of defense, they might drive the wolves to extinction again.

Narcis:
I get why Danish politicians pushed to ease EU protections.
Farmers keep calling—“I lost another sheep today!”
But we also have to understand—the wolves are just reestablishing territory.
We plan to green Denmark, right? One-third of it will be forest.
That means rewilding, and that means wolves.
Do we want forests that are actually empty, just so we feel safe?

Golda:
We just want some good lamb meat.

Narcis:
It's all about the lamb meat. I get it.

Golda:
I get it.

Narcis:
Nobody shall take our lamb meat. Lamb meat first.
Damn. I never even tried lamb meat, honestly. I don’t find it appealing. Do you like lamb?

Golda:
It's one of my favorites! Like, lamb cooked a little—mmm.

Narcis:
But it smells!

Golda:
I don’t know what lamb you’ve been around—but it’s so good.
I will endorse the wolf patrol if they keep lamb on the table.

Narcis:
So you’ll drive a species to extinction to protect your meat preference?

Golda:
Okay—they’re not just recklessly shooting. They’re protecting sheep. And lamb.

Narcis:
Yes—our sheep! Our farmer’s sheep!
But what if the state just pays the farmers for the lost sheep? They could just raise more.

Golda:
So you want to raise taxes?

Narcis:
Yes. More taxes—it’s always the same.

Golda:
I hear that in you.

Narcis:
I mean, what else are you going to do with the money?
Either use it for good—something that helps society—or waste it on vacations and expensive cars.
Who wants that?

Golda:
True, true. And that’s how this episode is coming to an end.
And that money you’re spending on vacation—hope you enjoy it on Monday!
Because Monday is a national holiday.
Not sure when you’re listening to this, but if it’s Sunday, maybe you’ll be chilling with us in your ears on Monday—hopefully with some sunshine.

Narcis:
Is Monday a national holiday? Why?

Golda:
Yeah, it’s Denmark’s Liberation Day. Like our May 5th.

Narcis:
Okay, but it’s not a free day, right? Like, you don’t get off work?

Golda:
It’s a celebration, yeah.

Narcis:
Okay, I really thought it was a national holiday.

Golda:
No, because religion took all those days a century ago.
It’s just a celebration—people’s markets, candles in windows. But not a public holiday.

Narcis:
Okay. It’s actually a holiday in the UK, so... sorry!

Golda:
Yeah, okay—sorry, guys.

Narcis:
We also didn’t have 1st of May. I know a lot of Europeans had 1st of May in their countries, but we didn’t.

Golda:
Well, anyway—still celebrate Liberation Day with Last Week in Denmark in your ears!

Narcis:
Absolutely. Thank you so much, Golda, for the very nice conversation today.
I'm looking forward to our next episode together. See you, everyone!

Golda:
Bye!