Netherlands: where to report an investment scam
A Dutch reporting guide separating bank action, police reporting, AFM and DNB supervision, and the role of Fraudehelpdesk.
Notify your sending bank or payment service promptly, report suspected crime through the Dutch police route and tell the relevant financial supervisor about the offer. DNB also points fraud victims to Fraudehelpdesk. AFM and DNB supervisory reports are not individual refund decisions.
If a platform uses Dutch language, a local address or a European licence claim, verify those details independently. They do not establish that the operator is Dutch or authorised for the product it offered.
This guide is for the Netherlands. It separates reports that may support enforcement from a complaint about a genuine financial provider. The Kifid route for eligible disputes is explained in the companion guide.
Start with the payment and account security
Call the bank or service that sent the payment through a trusted channel. Give the recipient details, time, amount and the reason you suspect fraud. Ask about pending payments, recall possibilities and securing compromised access.
If you approved a payment under deception, say that. If you discovered transfers you did not approve, explain that separately. Save records of the first notification. A criminal or supervisory report can proceed alongside the provider’s response, but should not delay urgent action.
Preserve the investment offer for police and supervisors
Keep the exact domain, emails, profiles, agreements, registration claims and payment instructions. Include a chronological summary and real-payment ledger. If the recipient name differs from the investment firm, record both rather than assuming they are the same entity.
Use the official Dutch police reporting route for suspected crime. DNB’s complaint guidance directs fraud victims to Fraudehelpdesk as a practical support starting point. Use its verified website rather than an online caller claiming to represent a fraud-help organisation.
Understand AFM’s supervisory role
AFM receives consumer signals about financial undertakings and can investigate possible rule breaches, take supervisory action or contribute to broader protections. Its published complaint guidance explains that it cannot mediate on your behalf or determine an individual complaint’s merits.
Send the offer and suspected authorisation misuse to the relevant official channel. A report can be valuable even if the firm is not yet on a warning list. Do not expect an AFM report alone to order a bank or scammer to return your money.
Check DNB records and cross-border status
DNB’s public register can show whether an institution operates under a Dutch licence, a European passport or a branch arrangement. Read the actual entry and the activity involved. The licence status of a genuine firm does not authenticate a lookalike website.
For a foreign institution operating under passporting, DNB explains that the home-country authority may also be relevant. Ask the real provider which legal entity serves your account. The offer’s language and an apparently local bank account do not settle that question.
Use the complaint track for a real provider dispute
If the concern is your bank’s handling or a regulated firm’s conduct toward you, complain to that institution first. Ask for its written position and process. AFM and DNB identify Kifid as a possible next step for eligible unresolved disputes.
Check membership and scope; Kifid is not automatically a forum for an anonymous foreign scam platform. Before choosing court proceedings, understand how that choice can affect later dispute-body access. Do not assume a supervisory report pauses any complaint or legal deadline.
A short checklist
- Notify the sending provider.
- Preserve the exact offer and payment recipient.
- Use official police and Fraudehelpdesk channels.
- Report supervisory concerns to the relevant authority.
- Keep provider complaints and Kifid eligibility separate.
Common questions
Will AFM resolve my refund dispute?
Its guidance distinguishes supervision from individual dispute resolution. A complaint to the institution, Kifid where eligible, or legal advice may be needed for your individual issue.
Does a European passport mean the website is genuine?
No. It can describe a real institution’s permission to operate, but an impersonator can copy that status. Confirm contact details with the actual institution.
References
- Complaints about institutionsDe Nederlandsche Bank · Netherlands
- Financial consumer complaintsDutch Authority for the Financial Markets · Netherlands
- How to submit a complaint (Dutch)Kifid · Netherlands
- What to do if you've been scammedASIC Moneysmart · Australia
