One in ten Dutch people scammed online last year

News item | 09-10-2024 | 05:50

A common form of cybercrime is phishing. Phishing means the perpetrator pretends to be someone else with the aim of obtaining money or access to personal data. Two in three Dutch people aged 15 and above received a phishing email or other message at least once in 2023. Linda was one of them. "I'd just arrived at the campsite and had spent all day unpacking all the stuff. Once I had finally sat down, I received a message from the Tax and Customs Administration saying I'd forgotten to make a payment and had to transfer €377.77 immediately. Since I'd just started my own business, I thought the message made sense. I clicked on the link, filled in all my details and paid the outstanding amount immediately. As I didn't get any confirmation, I later called the Tax and Customs Administration. During the conversation they immediately said that the Tax and Customs Administration never asks for personal details or sends a payment request. I did actually know that, but the pressure of time and the timing meant I completely forgot."

As Yoanne Spoormans, police cybercrime specialist, explains:

"Online scams can happen to anyone. Cybercrime is increasingly difficult to spot. Online criminals use deception techniques such as time pressure or they pretend to be an organisation. At the moment there are, for example, lots of fake messages and e-mails from government agencies, such as the municipality or the Tax and Customs Administration with a link in the message. This is how online criminals try to steal data to access other accounts or make money by reselling the data. My advice is to always check the sender when you receive an e-mail or other message. If you still have doubts, click the message away."

Recognise the techniques online scammers use to dupe people

• They pretend to be someone else: online criminals pretend to be a family member or friend. Alternatively they will misuse the name and corporate identity of well-known organisations, such as the government, a parcel service or bank, in their e-mails and messages to make you believe you can trust the content.
• They exploit your emotions: online criminals often play on your emotions. They try to make you curious or scared. By doing so they abuse your feeling of trust, your compassion or your ignorance.
• They use time pressure: online criminals want you to do something quickly and put pressure on you. You do not get time to unmask them. Nevertheless you should still take time to think because you will then realise that an organisation like a bank or the government will never pressure you to act quickly.
• They pretend there is an emergency: online criminals pretend that something will go completely wrong if you do not do what they say soon. For example, they will say that your payment or user account will be blocked if you do not update your details, or if you fail to pay. That is how they try to prevent you from doubting their story and play on your fears.
• They offer an opportunity: online criminals use discounts or overly fancy promotions to entice you. These big discounts or rare bargains then indeed turn out to be too good to be true.
• They make it personal: online criminals know, or pretend to know, something personal about you. They use information they found about you on the internet to make it look like they know you.
• They are very friendly: online criminals try to gain your trust by being very friendly and helpful. They pretend to be your friend. They do not appear to have bad intentions. This is how they gain your trust.

If in doubt, click away

If you are not sure whether to trust an e-mail or message, it is always good to check whether a sender, story, link or organisation are genuine. If you still have doubts, you should click the message away.

You can find more information on how to spot online deception at laatjenietinterneppen.nl. This website also tells you where to find help if needed.

Don't be duped online

The multi-year campaign by the Ministry of Justice and Security and the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations urges people to carefully check the sender of online messages and click away when in doubt.

^{[1] Statistics Netherlands 2024 - Security monitor 2023, Online crime: https://www.cbs.nl/nl-nl/longread/rapportages/2024/veiligheidsmonitor-2023/5-online-criminaliteit}