During the action week, the police allowed themselves to be ‘phished’. Phishing means that scammers ‘fish’ for information that you are trying to keep secret. Scammers send an email or WhatsApp message stating, for example, that there is something wrong with the bank details, or that a debit card has expired and that you can have a new one delivered via the included link. During the action week, the police responded to several phishing messages, resulting in five arrests in the act by the Team Immediate Unit. The arrested suspects are men aged between 18 and 36 and come from Rotterdam, Dordrecht, and Almere.

Combating online crime only works through public and private collaboration. This good initiative was taken by officers in two basic teams but could only become a reality by seeking out and asking for help from other parties. The action week took place in cooperation with the Cybercrime Team of the Rotterdam Unit, the municipality of Vlaardingen, the Public Prosecution Service, the Fraud Helpdesk and CGI.

Cybercriminals defraud victims for a lot of money. Iris, Digital Neighborhood Officer in Vlaardingen: “With the action week, the police managed to prevent new victims and are tackling cybercrime. Some of the arrested suspects came to pick up a debit card, supposedly because something was wrong with the victims bank account. The other suspects were asking for jewelry. We often see that these ‘pickers’ are part of a larger cybercriminal network.”

Phishers going fishing
Iris continues: “Some suspects were arrested at the front door when they came to pick up the debit card of the so-called victim. They immediately stated that they had no idea why they were being arrested. The men were planning to ‘go fishing’. In their car, we actually found fishing gear. Creative, but of course, we do not fall for that.”

Great impact on victims
In previous cases, the police see what, besides the financial damage, particularly the long-term emotional damage is for victims of this kind of fraud. One victim - 77 years old - says they no longer feel safe at home. ”I sleep very poorly, sometimes lie awake for hours worrying. You are just brainwashed and can no longer think logically.” Another victim says: “Morally, I have been dented. They have violated my dignity and my trust in people. They have caused me great damage to my body and psyche. That cannot be repaired.”

Campaign “Selfmade? Cellmate!”
In December, the police launched the prevention campaign “Selfmade? Cellmate!” aimed at young people considering stepping into the world of cybercrime. Ruben van Well, Account Manager Public Private Cooperation of the Cybercrime Team Rotterdam: Many victims never see their money again. Criminals convince themselves that banks or insurance companies will compensate the victims. Worse, they also tell young people this fairy tale. They promise them mountains of gold. And so more young people step into the world of cybercrime and the F-Games in. This form of ‘earning’ money is publicly glorified on social media and in some music tracks. Young people sometimes look up to these kinds of influencers. If you are continuously exposed to such messages on (social) media, your worldview can change, which influences the choice for this form of crime as a business model.

Report phishing emails to the Fraud Helpdesk
Receiving phishing emails? Are you being called by someone pretending to be a bank employee? Report this to the Fraud Helpdesk. They keep a good overview of active ‘scam campaigns’. The data is then used by the police to track down perpetrators.

Become a victim?
If you have become a victim, do not be ashamed. You are really not the only one this happens to. Therefore, always contact your bank immediately to block your account. And always file a report with the police. This can be done by phone, in person at the station, or in many cases also online.
Additionally, share your story with friends and acquaintances. This helps prevent new victims from being made.

Want to know more about phishing and/or bank helpdesk fraud? Click on:
https://www.politie.nl/onderwerpen/phishing-of-smishing.html
and
https://www.politie.nl/onderwerpen/fraude-met-betaalproducten.html