Sharp increase of fraud reports in 2023, especially via WhatsApp and SMS

The number of fraud reports increased significantly last year, according to figures from the Fraud Helpdesk. In total, more than 57,000 reports were made, compared to more than 51,000 in the previous year. Fake text messages in particular, which also include WhatsApp messages, were reported more frequently.

This involved a total of almost 16,000 reports, compared to more than 4,000 in the previous year. The Fraud Helpdesk refers, for example, to a well-known message from a family member asking for money. The Fraud Helpdesk also received many reports of so-called phishing text messages. These contain fake payment requests that are supposedly made by the bank, the tax authorities, or the Central Bailiff's Office.

The victims of investment fraud where people are tempted to invest in worthless or fake shares, suffered the most financial damage. This amounted to more than 20 million euros in 2023, compared to almost 15 million euros a year earlier. Investment fraud still accounts for the majority of the total financial damage caused by fraud. The total amount of damage last year was more than one million euros higher than in 2022, at more than 44 million euros.