Klarna adds in-app inbox to help users spot scams

Klarna has added an in-app inbox that collects every official communication the company sends – emails, SMS, push notifications and confirmations of posted letters – and mirrors them inside the authenticated Klarna app.

The inbox stores copies of transactional messages and alerts in a folder that customers can access only after signing in. Klarna says the feature lets customers check whether a notification is genuine: if a message does not appear in the app, it is not from Klarna.

The feature has been rolled out in the company’s app. Klarna said it developed the inbox in response to a rise in impersonation scams that copy the look and wording of legitimate messages to trick people into sharing data or making payments.

Klarna described the signed-in environment as one scammers cannot reproduce and said mirroring official messages there reduces the risk that customers will act on fraudulent prompts found in external messages. The inbox displays the same content and formats used in Klarna’s external communications.

David Fock, chief product and design officer at Klarna, commented: “Our new inbox gives people a simple way to know what’s actually from Klarna. If you’re unsure about a message, just check the app. If it’s not there, it’s not from us.”

Klarna has not published technical details about how messages are verified inside the inbox, whether it will use cryptographic signatures or visual verification marks, or whether notifications routed through partners will appear there. The company also did not disclose retention timelines for mirrored messages.

Scams that impersonate banks and payment providers commonly use cloned emails, fake SMS and spoofed sender IDs. Financial firms and payment apps have been adding features that let customers confirm the authenticity of messages within their own apps.