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 should report the crime to the police or a dedicated contact point. You can for instance report tax fraud to the Netherlands Customs Administration (Belastingdienst) or report internet fraud to the police.

Common types of fraud

• Advertising fraud (in Dutch): someone wants to sell you fake advertisements. Sometimes this happens by sending fake invoices, or via deception by phone or through a representative.
• Identity fraud: illegal use of personal data (through phishing), for example, for ordering through the internet. If someone illegally uses your business data and acts on behalf of your business it is called business identity theft.
• Slamming (in Dutch): when your telephone service is transferred to another provider to another without your knowledge or consent. You can report this to the Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM, in Dutch).
• Advance fee fraud (419 scam, in Dutch): in return for an advance payment, 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 out the company does not exist any longer
• Extortion (in Dutch): someone demands money from you under the threat of, for example, violence or of making incriminating or damaging information public.
• Tax fraud (in Dutch): 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 for individuals or for business (in Dutch)
• 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 Administration)
• Report phishing and smishing to your bank (Veiligbankieren, in Dutch)
• Report financial and tax fraud (Tax Administration, in Dutch)
• Report VAT fraud (Tax 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.

When you suspect spoofing, you can contact the company or organisation to verify if the website, email or caller is genuine.