Internet fraudsters take at least 30 million euros in 3 years

In a three-year period, the Fraud Helpdesk received 3000 reports from victims of, mostly, internet fraud. The total fraud amount of the reports amounted to 30 million euros. Most of the reports that the service received did not come from victims but from tipsters.

The Fraud Helpdesk received 70,000 reports of fraud in three years, most of which related to internet fraud. Of the reports, 67,000 did not come from victims but from tipsters. According to Fraudehelpdesk, the 3000 reports of victims represented a total damage amount of 30 million euros.

The actual amount of damage caused by internet fraud is unknown: the Fraud Helpdesk estimates that 90 percent of fraud cases are never reported out of shame or an amount that is too small. The highest amount reported to the helpdesk in three years was 1.5 million euros, which a man is said to have given to a woman to obtain an inheritance.

Most of the tips about fraud were about phishing: in 2013, the Fraud Help Desk received 28,000 reports about this and in the first month of 2014 there were already 4,300. Last month, the Fraud Help Desk announced that the number of reports was rising rapidly.