Businessman Sam van IJzendoorn lost 7,500 euros due to one phone call. He is one of more than two million Dutch people who have been victims of online crimes. “I thought: ‘It must be urgent.’
It’s a Monday evening after dinnertime when Van IJzendoorn, founder of sneaker brand Vyz, receives a text from Bunq. The message read: “Prevent your account from being closed, and verify your phone number.”
Below the message is a link and verification code. The businessman recently opened a new account with Bunq. “It was a sensible message.”
Click on the link
Van IJzendoorn clicks on the link and ends up in the Bunq web environment. “Exactly the same. The URL also started with www.bunqHe enters the code but nothing happens. Shortly after, an unknown number calls.
“I never answer unknown numbers, especially after six.” But if his cell phone rings two more times, he answers it anyway. “I thought: ‘It must be urgent.’
I usually don’t answer unknown numbers
Account hacking using “intelligent artificial intelligence”
On the other end of the line, Jan Willem of Bonkbank says an attempt was made to transfer €1,200 abroad from IJzendoorn’s account. Did he do that? Van IJzendoorn says no.
According to the alleged bank employee, a cybercriminal broke into his account – and they discovered it at Bunq using “clever AI technology”. Van IJzendoorn must deactivate his account to prevent cybercriminals from stealing his money.
Any desktop application
Does Van IJzendoorn have a laptop on hand and can download the Any Desk app? Then Jan Willem can watch from a distance and help you step by step. “I didn’t know about this app,” Van IJzendoorn says. And he installed it. “I regretted it even more afterward.”
Meanwhile, the fake employee explains how busy he is these days with phishing practices. “Even a colleague at the bank fell into this matter. So it was not surprising that this happened to me too,” he said.
At the end of the conversation, Van IJzendoorn praised him. “I’ve never had anyone talk to me so politely. What I noticed later is that he didn’t really let me get in the way of the conversation. He talked nonstop.”
What bothers me most is that it was done in a professional manner
“The bank never calls”
After Van IJzendoorn hangs up the call, he feels uncomfortable. “The whole conversation took 40 minutes, which is very long. It was a little crazy.” At that time, one of his children fell off the trampoline. His wife asked what he was doing.
He starts getting suspicious and starts searching on Google. “That’s how I found out that banks, including Bonk Bank, never call. Damn it.” Van IJzendoorn immediately checks his Bunq account: it looks like his entire account has been emptied. 7,500 euros away. “I was seriously scammed. I had to let it all sink in.”
Van IJzendoorn finds it very upsetting that he lost money – “a whole chunk of my money” –. “But what I think is worse is that it was done in a professional manner. I trusted the person who called me. He responded to my feelings.”
SOS number
Van IJzendoorn is Sadder but wiser. If you get a call from the bank, ask for the employee’s name and call the bank to verify it, warns the entrepreneur. “If he doesn’t want to tell you his name for privacy reasons, you know things are wrong.”
Another tip: Ask the bank employee for the last three amounts debited from your bank account. “If that person doesn’t answer that, that’s a bad sign.”
Van I Zendoorn Share his story on LinkedIn Which has been viewed 900,000 times. “I want to prevent others from making the same mistake.”
Did Punk handle it well? “Not real.” Van IJzendoorn called the SOS number on the website, but was transferred to an answering machine. Eventually he was helped via chat. “Not personally. Too bad.” Now, a week later, Van IJzendoorn is still waiting for an answer from Bonk. “The question is whether I’ll ever see the money again.”
Millions of Dutch victims
2.2 million Dutch people are sometimes exposed to online fraud, hacking or intimidation, according to Statistics Netherlands. Two in three people aged 15 or over say they have been victims of phishing, where criminals lure you to a fake website via emails or phone calls and thus steal data or money.
It’s not the old people who are pedaling, it’s the young people Often Scammers’ tricksAccording to research conducted by the University of Twente. Dutch people between the ages of 18 and 35 are the most vulnerable to fake applications from banks, Leave the report By Ipsos I&O on behalf of ABN Amro.
Bing replied:
“It’s important to raise awareness about online crimes so users stay alert. That’s why we appreciate what Sam posted on LinkedIn. Fraudsters will always find new ways to game the system. This applies to every bank, whether traditional or online. We are launching a comprehensive investigation “In phishing and we involve the police in all cases, we analyze whether we can continue to improve, both in terms of security and aftercare.”