Scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Take bank helpdesk fraud. Many people know that you can be called by someone who claims to work for your bank’s fraud department. The caller sounds professional, speaks fluent Dutch, often knows your personal details such as your date of birth and account number, and uses terms like "a cyberattack on your bank account" or "blocking transactions". The scammer shows understanding for your concern while reassuring you at the same time: you can take action to prevent someone from stealing your money. Recently, they’ve come up with a new storyline for this. And that’s where it becomes dangerous – and complicated.
"}},{"componentType":"sectionTitle"},{"componentType":"paragraph","title":"The game begins","richBody":{"value":"Mark, who works in ING’s fraud department, knows all about it: "Scammers call our customers, for example, to tell them their account is involved in a large-scale fraud investigation. The victim is told to transfer their money to keep it safe, sometimes via a link. In some cases, they are instructed to open or install screen‑sharing software on their laptop, allowing the scammers to take control of the computer. And sometimes scammers even come to the victim’s home to collect their debit card, using clever tricks to also obtain the PIN.
As a fraud department, we monitor unusual spending and may temporarily block an account for investigation. Problem solved, you might think. But that’s when the game really starts."
"}},{"componentType":"sectionTitle"},{"componentType":"paragraph","title":"Brainwashed by criminals","richBody":{"value":""The problem is that scammers are so sophisticated that they even exploit the measures banks take to protect customers against fraud. They use the fact that the bank may intervene and call the customer to ask questions about a transaction. The scammer’s goal is to make sure the bank releases the victim’s account again after that call.
That’s why scammers go through an entire script with the victim in advance, including prepared answers to possible questions from the bank employee."
"The scammer tells the victim to expect a call from criminals pretending to be from the bank. In reality, that call is actually from the bank’s fraud department, calling to say the account has been blocked as a precaution. When we, as bank employees, call the victim, they are already convinced that we are the criminals."
"}},{"componentType":"sectionTitle"},{"componentType":"paragraph","title":"Smooth talk","richBody":{"value":"The victim then sticks closely to the script they rehearsed with the scammer. "They try to convince the real bank employee that nothing is wrong. They come up with stories like: ‘I needed the money to buy a second‑hand car.’"
"We recognise these smooth‑talking tactics and try to convince our customer that we are not criminals. Sometimes that doesn’t work, and we advise them to visit a branch. Even there, some people still stick to their story: ‘Just unblock the account, there’s nothing wrong.’ Victims are, in a way, brainwashed."
"}},{"componentType":"sectionTitle"},{"componentType":"paragraph","title":"Shame and disbelief","richBody":{"value":"Sometimes victims play along so convincingly that the fraud department releases the account again. The consequences can be severe. "For criminals, that’s hitting the jackpot. The victim can continue transferring money. They believe they are securing their funds, but in reality they are funnelling thousands, sometimes tens of thousands of euros to scammers. That’s why criminals are willing to invest so much time and effort. Sometimes they keep victims talking for hours, late into the night."
"}},{"componentType":"sectionTitle"},{"componentType":"paragraph","title":"Huge impact","richBody":{"value":"When the fraud eventually comes to light and victims realise what has happened, the shame and disbelief are often overwhelming. "It has a huge impact. Sometimes it’s not even about the amount of money that’s gone, but about not understanding how they could have fallen for it. They say things like: ‘I even warned people around me about this, and now it’s happened to me.’ It’s heartbreaking."
"}},{"componentType":"sectionTitle"},{"componentType":"paragraph","title":"What can you do?","richBody":{"value":"
The golden rule is this: if you are called by someone who says there is something wrong with your bank account, use Check the Call to verify that you are really speaking to ING. Or hang up immediately and call the ING Fraud Help Line yourself to check the story.
If a bank notices something unusual on your account, they may block it. A staff member will then call you to check what’s going on. But a bank employee will never ask to view your computer via screen‑sharing software. They will also never ask you to transfer money, share codes or hand over your debit card. And they will never instruct you on what to say if an ‘other bank employee’ calls you. In all of these cases, you are dealing with a scammer.
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