There have been a striking number of reports of fraudulent phishing practices via mobile messaging services such as Messenger, WhatsApp and SMS. This is evident from the fraud figures of Dutch banks that the Dutch Payments Association and the Dutch Banking Association collect and report.
The damage caused by fraud in the payment system as a result of phishing and bank card fraud increased by about a third in the first six months of 2019.
In recent months, the number of reports to various hotlines for phishing personal data has almost doubled. Criminals often start the fraud attempt on trading platforms such as Marktplaats or Speurders.
Fraud via SMS
A well-known case is scamming via text messages. For example, the messages request cardholders to send their bank card to a so-called recycling company and to enter their PIN code on a fake website that supposedly belongs to their bank. In the first half of 2019, fraud involving sent, stolen or lost bank cards increased: from 2 million euros in the last half of last year to 2.59 million euros in the first half of this year.
Hyperlinks in mobile messages
Scammers who want to obtain personal data through banking fraud often lure victims with an excuse and a hyperlink to a fake website. They also do this via mobile messaging services. The faulty website looks like two drops of water on the website of your own bank or of a well-known mobile payment service. Don’t fall for it: cyber criminals can get your login details through the site and thus have free rein in your banking environment.
The damage caused by phishing to bank security codes has also increased. In the second half of 2018, the damage was 2.36 million euros. This amount increased to EUR 3.08 million in the first half of 2019.
You can help detect and eliminate fraudsters by detecting suspicious emails, messages or suspicious banking transactions report.
Source: Dutch Payments Association
