Preventing and reporting fraud and deception

As an entrepreneur you may have to deal with different types of deception and fraud. Have you fallen victim to fraud or deception? You can ask for help at a dedicated centre or report the crime to the police. You can for instance report tax fraud to the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration (Belastingdienst) or report internet fraud to the police.

Common types of fraud

• Advertising fraud (in Dutch): sending fake invoices or deception by phone or through a representative.
• Identity fraud: illegal use of personal data (through phishing, in Dutch), for example, for ordering through the Internet. If someone illegaly uses your business data and acts on behalf of your business it is called business identity theft.
• Slamming: transferring one telephone service provider to another unrequested. You can report this to the Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM, in Dutch).
• Advance fee fraud (419-fraud): in return for an advance fee, you are wrongfully promised a high compensation.
• Bankruptcy fraud (in Dutch): a company buys (large) stocks from you, but when it comes to paying the invoice it turns the company does not exist anymore
• Extortion: demanding money under the threat of, for example, violence or making incriminating or damaging information public.
• Tax fraud: for instance concealing income or profits from your business or tax evasion
• Internet fraud: for instance you pay for a product but do not receive it. Or you supply a product but do not receive payment.
• Spoofing (in Dutch): when someone impersonates a company or organisation, for instance through copying their website, email or phone number.

Victims of fraud, deception or slamming

You can report all forms of fraud and deception to the police. For some of these practices reporting centres and information lines have been set up:

• Fraud Help Desk
• Internet Scams (Dutch Police, in Dutch)
• Report crime anonymously M.
• Fraudulent Employment Agencies Reporting Centre (Netherlands Labour Authority)
• Dutch Identity Fraud Help Desk (CMI, in Dutch)
• Confidential hotline for reporting extortion (Vertrouwenslijn, in Dutch)
• Report malicious and phishing emails (Tax and Customs Administration)
• Report phishing and smishing to your bank (Veiligbankieren, in Dutch)
• Report financial and tax fraud (Tax and Customs Administration, in Dutch)
• Report VAT fraud (Tax and Customs Administration)

In addition, you can:

• Contact your legal expenses insurance company or a legal adviser.
• Contact your branch organisation in order to warn other entrepreneurs in your branch.