Acquisition fraud? Report it to the Fraud Helpdesk
Did you receive a phone call or email from a business that wants to place an ad for you? Or mention your company details on a website. Be careful - you may have been contacted by a fake ad agency. They can trick you into signing a contract with you. This is called acquisition fraud. Read what to do if you have been scammed.
Report acquisition fraud to the Fraud Helpdesk
Do you think you are a victim of acquisition fraud?
- Do not pay the bill you receive and state in writing why you are not paying.
- Contact the Fraud Helpdesk (in Dutch). The Fraud Helpdesk can give you partnered advice on your situation. That way you will know what steps to take next.
Examples of acquisition fraud
Scammers have various tricks to trick you into signing a contract. For example:
- The business pretends you had a contact with them before. You are asked to check your company details and sign. Afterwards, it turns out that you have signed a contract. Or a recording is made of the telephone conversation showing that you have agreed to a contract.
- You agree to a free or almost free service over the phone. Afterwards, you get a large invoice.
- The business says that your details are already listed for free and that you can renew this for a fee. If you don't want to renew, you have to sign something. Afterwards, it turns out that you then signed a contract.
- The business calling or emailing you pretends to be a well-known organisation.
Preventing acquisition fraud
If your legal structure is not a legal entity, for example a sole proprietorship or general partnership, a business may only call you with an offer if you have given permission. Or if you are or have already been a customer of that company. So always be careful if you receive calls or emails from a business you do not know or are not sure you know.
Is your business a legal entity, such as a BV or NV? Then other businesses may approach you without your consent. You should still be careful with offers made by email or telephone and do not give verbal consent
Read more about how to prevent acquisition fraud on KVK.nl.