scam

So far this year almost 15 thousand Dutch have fallen victim to phishing scams, the Fraud Help Desk announced on Friday based on the reports it received. Over 1.1 million euros were stolen in these scams, compared to 862 thousand euros in damages throughout all of 2018, NU.nl reports.

The police arrested three men on th A16 highway near Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht on Sunday night for impersonating police officers and trying to fine tourists. They were dressed in clothes that resemble the Dutch police uniform, the Dordrecht police said on Facebook.

At a parking lot on the A16, the fake cops asked a tourist for his ID documents. The tourist did not trust the situation and called the police. The fake cops fled towards Rotterdam.

Tickets for the Champions League semi final match between Ajax and Tottenham Hotspur in Amsterdam next week have already sold out. Desperate fans are searching online trading sites for a way to still see the match, where tickets are being offered at sky-high prices. Beware of scammers, the Dutch police warn.

Couple 62-year-old Jan V. and 53-year-old Jolanda H. scammed a total of 62 owners of hotels and B&B's out of 20 thousand euros by staying in the establishments and leaving without paying the bill, was revealed in the court of Assen. The Public Prosecutor demanded 4 and 3 years in prison against them respectively. The couple confessed to everything, AD reports. 

The Tax Authority's investigative department FIOD arrested six men on Tuesday in a fraud investigation. The men, aged 20 to 39 years, are suspected of posing as tax employees and scamming millions of euros from Dutch entrepreneurs. The police and FIOD received over 170 reports from victims. In total the criminal gang stole over 2.2 million euros, NU.nl reports.

The police also raided five homes in Arnhem and seized administration, cash, bank cards, a Mercedes and the pin numbers of 'money mules' - people whose bank accounts were abused for criminal purposes. 

The Netherlands' Fraud Helpdesk is noticing a considerable increase in the number of fraud reports revolving around cryptocurrency Bitcoin. There are no exact figures yet about how many people reported Bitcoin fraud to the helpdesk, but that this type of fraud is increasingly common is very clear, Tanya Wijngaarden of the helpdesk said to BNR.

A 33-year-old woman was arrested last week on suspicion of money laundering in a Marktplaats scam. The Rotterdam police believe the woman let fraudsters use her bank account for their scam, which involved selling non existent text books to students via online shopping platform Marktplaats, AD reports.

This investigation has been running since 2015, when a total of 108 victims reported being scammed. They bought text books on Marktplaats, paid the money but never received the books. The total amount of damages was over 4 thousand euros. 

The Bunschoten-Spakenburg police issued a warning against donating money to any fundraising campaigns for the family of Savannah Dekker, who was found killed in Bunschoten on Sunday. The 14-year-old girl's family is not aware of and hasn't approved any fundraising actions, the police write on Facebook.

"Social involvement is appreciated. However, fundraising actions for Savannah's family, are not in the name of the family. Be aware of where you donate your money."

Police in Rotterdam arrested five men after a search of a residence on Tuesday turned up a Kalashnikov rifle and a heavy-caliber handgun. Investigators were acting on a tip when they raided the home, and were surprised to find a significant number of bank card skimming devices, along with gloves and tie-rips, the police said in a statement.

An 86 year old Rotterdam man was robbed on Saturday morning by two women posing as home care staff. One woman searched the man's house while the other was giving him a sponge bath. They fled with about 1,500 euros.

Police in Utrecht arrested a 26-year-old man suspected of swindling residents in a solar panel scam. The suspect visited several homes promising to install solar panels, and collecting a deposit in advance for the work.