More arrests in Groningen DigID fraud

Police arrested three more suspects today in the ongoing investigation of the DigiD fraud in Groningen. The first reports came in in June 2013, and in November police arrested 5 suspects who were identified by an alert witness. A 27-year-old man from Winschoten, and 53-year-old woman and a 54-year-old man from Westerlee were arrested.

The older man works for the tax department. The Fiscal Information and Investigation Service (FIOD) are continuing the investigation on his work station, in coöperation with the tax department. In June 2013 reports started coming about DigiD fraud, mostly from students, who complained that they had been locked out of their account. It turned out their accounts had been changed, and money that came in was rerouted to different accounts. Also rent of care benefits that came in, or were applied for under the student's name, was rerouted to different accounts. The investigation has to show how the suspects came into possession of students' personal information, but possibly their mail was stolen from their mail boxes. Police have 54 police reports in this case so far, but expect more may follow. The suspects are in restrictive detention, meaning they are not allowed contact with each other or the outside world. The Public Prosecution North Netherlands also refrains from disclosing any information about the developments in the investigation for now. So far 8 suspects have been identified in the investigation of the DigiD fraud, but more arrests may still follow.