Fifth of young Dutch have fallen victim to fake web shops

One in five young people has fallen victim to a fake webshop where a product was not delivered after payment and the money was gone. This was reported by Wijzer in Geldzaken, an initiative of the Ministry of Finance, based on research among over a thousand young people aged 16 to 19. According to the platform, young people need to look critically at webshops.

Of the young people scammed, 3 percent indicate that they have experienced this several times. “Webshop fraud is a major problem. Also among young people, as this research also shows. One thoughtless click and your money is gone,” said director Henriette Bongers of the Fraud Helpdesk.

Eight out of ten young people indicate that they have never been scammed. Possibly because more than half of respondents indicated they know how to recognize a fake webshop. Bongers has several tips for this. “Check the reviews on various independent review platforms, check the URL via the various scam checks, check logos of quality marks with the quality mark itself, and be extra alert to noticeably low prices.”

Wijzer in Geldzaken commissioned the study in the run-up to Money Week. This week, school students will learn more about their financial situation. “Those who develop financial skills at a young age are better prepared for the future,” said chairman Joost Smits of the steering group of Wijzer in Geldzaken. “This way you can also better arm yourself against temptations and deceptions online, such as webshop fraud.”

On behalf of the Dutch Banking Association (NVB), several bank managers will give guest lectures together with the police on Monday. Among other things, they will discuss money mules - people who allow criminals to use their bank accounts.

“It is important that we discuss money mules with young people and, together with the police, for example, continue to warn against these types of recruitment practices,” said NVB chairman Medy van der Laan. “If we can prevent young people from being used as money mules, we will prevent a lot of personal misery and we will take a major step in combating online fraud.”