Beware of phone scams!
The Dutch police is warning against phone scams that many young people with an international background have fallen victim to recently. If you receive a phone call from a ‘government agency’, hang up immediately and never give out any personal information or install software at their request!
How to recognise this scam
You may receive a call from ‘a government agency’ telling you that you are on an international arrest warrant list, or that you have to pay a big fine. The ‘employee’ on the line often has a lot of personal information such as a social security number (BSN) and therefore sounds credible. This ‘employee’ claims they want to help you get off this list. For this, they ask you to install software, for example TeamViewer or Anydesk. With this software, the scammer can view your bank details and transfer money to another account without any notice.
If you receive a call like this, it is a scam. No government agency will contact you by phone.
What to do in this situation
Hang up immediately, even when in doubt. Sometimes scammers will give you a phone number, but this is fake as well. Always look up the correct number yourself and wait until you get someone on the line with whom you can verify the call. Inform your family, friends and acquaintances about this scam and warn them.
What to do if you have been scammed
Have you experienced this? You are not alone. Call your bank immediately and report it to the police. Call 0900 8844 for an appointment or visit Politie.nl for more information. Did cyber criminals successfully rob your bank account? Always report the crime to the police. Visit the police website for more information about phone scams (in Dutch).
More information
See the police flyer Beware of telephone scams.