Wednesday, 22 January 2014 - 10:29
Police detain 14 for internet fraud
The police have arrested a total of 14 suspects in recent months for internet fraud.
Online Shopping with Touchscreen Ultrabook / Flickr
Together, these 14 defendants are believed to be responsible for nearly 550 internet fraud cases through a sales website, according the police.
The suspects, including 12 men and two women, are from Almelo, Enschede, Arnhem, Goor and Hengelo.
The total damage to the victims is estimated to be about €80,000.
On a sales website, the defendants offered goods, especially electronics. The buyers claimed that they never received the goods despite making payment.
The police have sent the case against the defendants to the Public Prosecution Service, which will decide on the prosecution of the suspects.
In Netherlands, the number of reports of internet fraud has tripled in 2013, according to the Fraud Helpdesk.
Nearly 28,000 internet fraud cases were reported in 2013, including 22,000 phishing cases and 6,000 advance fee fraud cases, Volkskrant said.