This text message received by several refugees and asylum seekers suggests that they can get extra money to live from the IND and VWN. And that to get this money they must fill out a form and leave their credit card or bank details. The message is not true. This is a scam.
Source: Tekstbericht dat verstuurd is naar de mobiele telefoon van een vluchteling
News

Fake messages are spread about the IND on your phone

Published at: 11/06/2024, 00:00

Many refugees receive fake messages on their phones about extra money you can get from the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) and VluchtelingenWerk Nederland (VWN). Those messages are not true.

You cannot get extra money

It says in those messages that you have to fill out a form and then you can get extra money. This is false information. Do not fill out the form. Delete the message and block the sender. If you do fill out the form, you will be scammed. The scammers are going to try to take money from your account. This is called phishing.

This is what the fake messages spread about the IND look like.

The IND or VWN will never ask for your bank details over the phone

How can you know this message is fake? The

Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND)
or
VluchtelingenWerk Nederland (VWN)
will never send you online bills or ask you to share your bank details. A Dutch organisation will never ask you for your bank details via WhatsApp, e-mail or a text message. If it does, it is probably a fake message.

What should you do if you did fill in the form by mistake?

Have you received one of these fake messages? And did you accidentally fill out the form and give your bank or credit card information? Then go to the information desk of the

Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA)
. If you have been scammed, you may need to block or change your Yoursafe account. You can also file a report with the help desk for fraud
and report it to the police.

If you do not live in a COA reception centre but independently or in the (emergency) reception centre in the municipality, go to the municipality and also to the police to report this. And block your bank account or credit card if you have passed on those details. This can be done at the bank or through your bank's app if you have it on your phone.

Internet scams

On this page you will read all about scams via email, WhatsApp and text message. Read here what you can do to avoid being scammed.

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