Bank card scam in the Netherlands cons 170 victims out of 380.000 euros

Police in the Netherlands are warning about a bank scam that tricks people into holding their bank card against their phone, allowing criminals to withdraw money remotely. Around 170 victims lost a total of 380.000 euros during three weeks monitored by investigators.

Bank scam tricks victims into scanning their cards

In a police report, the scam begins with a phone call playing an AI-generated recording about supposed suspicious activity on the victim’s bank account. The recording asks them to press one if they do not recognise the activity, before connecting them to someone posing as a bank employee.

The caller then pressures the victim to act quickly to block their bank card. They are instructed to download an app and hold their card against their phone.

Instead of blocking the card, the app temporarily relays data from its contactless payment chip to an accomplice’s phone. The accomplice is waiting at a cash machine or payment terminal, where they can use the data to withdraw money or make payments.

Around 170 victims lost 380.000 euros

During three weeks of monitoring the criminal network’s servers, the Dutch police’s Rotterdam cybercrime team identified around 170 victims who had lost a total of 380.000 euros. Those targeted lived across the Netherlands and included people ranging in age from their twenties to their eighties, with dozens of younger victims, according to police. 

The investigation led to the arrest of two men on October 6: a 23-year-old from Vaassen and a 25-year-old from Ede. Police suspect the younger man developed the technology and directed others, while the second suspect allegedly helped coordinate the operation.

Police also had the servers used for the fraud taken offline. On October 20, Rotterdam District Court ordered that both suspects remain in custody for a further 90 days pending trial.

How to recognise the bank scam

Police warn that scammers use convincing stories and pressure people to act quickly. A caller claiming to work for your bank who asks you to download an app, hold your bank card against your phone or share your PIN is a warning sign.

If you are unsure whether a call is genuine, hang up and contact your bank using the official telephone number on its website. Do not download apps through links sent by text message or WhatsApp, or share passwords and banking login details over the phone.

Anyone who may have fallen victim should contact their bank immediately to check for unauthorised transactions and ask about blocking their account or stopping payments. Police also urge victims to report the fraud and keep any messages as evidence.