Scammers try to steal your money in many different ways. They try to fool you into divulging your personal details or transferring money quickly. Be alert and don't fall for these scams. Read our tips below on how to spot fraudulent websites, messages and phone calls.
If you are unsure whether a bank's website is legitimate, first check that the web address (URL) is correct. To do so,
Phishing scams use spoofing techniques to obtain your information. They use your personal details to make money or to steal your money. Phishing scams come in many shapes and forms:
These tips will help you spot fake emails. The following features should make you suspicious of an email you receive:
Scammers may pose as a bank employee. They will call or message you, and sometimes you will even see your bank's phone number on your screen. They always have some kind of excuse to get you to do something quickly, claiming that otherwise things will go wrong. For example, you need to transfer money straight away, or they ask you for your PIN or login details These are all signs of fraud.
Remember: your bank will never ask for your details, login code or to transfer money. If you do not trust a message, simply do not respond. This means you should:
Take immediate action: contact your bank immediately to have your debit or credit cards blocked. If you have lost any money, report it to the police. You can also contact the Dutch national anti-fraud hotline (Fraudehelpdesk).
There are currently scammers pretending to work for DNB. They may approach you with fake emails, text messages and phone calls. This is called spoofing. An example: Scammers may call you out of the blue and say something is wrong with your bank account. They want you to install special software on your computer and ask for your PIN codes. You will see a DNB phone number on your screen. The scammers will refer you to our website where you will see the same phone number to convince you someone from DNB is calling. Scammers will also send you requests by email or text message, for example, to transfer money quickly. A fake email is currently circulating from scammers posing as DNB director Olaf Sleijpen, asking you to scan a QR code for 3D security. Do not scan the code! If you receive messages or phone calls on behalf of DNB, always remain alert. Remember: DNB will never ask you for your PIN code or to transfer money.
For more information, go to www.veiligbankieren.nl. This is a Dutch-language website provided by the Dutch Banking Association. Or check out the website of the Dutch national anti-fraud hotline (Fraudehelpdesk) or the government’ s Dutch-language veiliginternetten.nl website.
De Nederlandsche Bank supervises banks in the Netherlands. Read more about our Supervision of financial institutions.
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