Spoofing is a form of fraud in which fraudsters call from an existing phone number, such as a bank. They pretend to be employees to take money from people.
About 18,000 people have fallen victim to bank plagiarism, the most common form of plagiarism. Half of the victims lost at least 4,000 euros. In total, the damages amounted to 94 million euros.
According to CBS, emergency friend fraud is still common with criminals. In addition, scammers approach the victim via WhatsApp and pretend to be a friend or family member. In the conversation, the fraudster quickly asks for money because it is assumed that a bill must be paid or a plane ticket must be purchased.
About 26,000 people were victims of emergency fraud last year. Half of them paid at least €2,000 for their so-called friends or relatives. The total damage amounted to 73 million euros.
The victims eventually saw 121 million euros out of a total of 261 million. Of that amount, 70 million is made up of fees from banks, credit card companies and online payment services.
The remaining 51 million euros relates to other forms of plagiarism. Victims, for example, got paid because the damage was compensated by the perpetrators.