Scammed? What now
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Scammed? What nowUpdated

I downloaded a fake program or my computer is infected and money is gone. What now?

Do this now

Short answer

Take your computer offline right away and call your bank on the number in your banking app or on its website. Have your card and online banking blocked, and change your passwords from a different device. Only wipe the computer after you have reported it to the police.

What should I do now?

  1. Take your computer offline

    Turn off the wifi, unplug the network cable or switch the computer off. That stops anyone from watching your screen or reading your data. Do not use this computer for banking until it is clean again. This is the advice of the Fraudehelpdesk, the Dutch fraud advice line.

    Source: fraudehelpdesk.nl (opens in a new window)

  2. Call your bank now

    Use the number in your banking app, on your bank's website or on Veilig Bankieren, the Dutch banks' safety site. Never call a number from a warning on your screen, an e-mail or a search engine. Say that money is gone after your computer was infected. Have your card and online banking blocked and ask whether payments can still be stopped. Report misuse without delay (Article 7:524 of the Dutch Civil Code). Whatever happens with your card or app after you report it is not at your expense, unless you committed fraud yourself (Article 7:529(4)). Did you also use your credit card on that computer? Have it blocked too.

    Source: veiligbankieren.nl (opens in a new window)

  3. Change your passwords on another device

    Use a device you trust, such as your phone or someone else's computer at home. At least change your e-mail and online banking passwords. Log out of every account and session that is still open. Check your e-mail for a forwarding rule or a phone number you did not add. Do not log in on the infected computer: as long as the malware is active, criminals can see your new password.

    Source: fraudehelpdesk.nl (opens in a new window)

  4. Report it to the police

    Call 0900-8844 to report malware, or make an appointment at a police station. The police sometimes ask permission to copy your infected computer, so they can examine the malware and link reports together. Did it start with a fake helpdesk, through a warning on your screen or a phone call? Then you can also report online with your DigiD. Keep everything: messages, phone numbers, names, the website or file it started with, and the payments and account numbers.

    Source: politie.nl (opens in a new window)

  5. Wipe the computer only after your report

    Do not reinstall the computer until you have filed your report and the traces have been secured. If you like, the police can come to your home to do this. Then remove remote access programs such as AnyDesk or TeamViewer. Update your virus scanner and run a full scan, or reset the computer to factory settings. If you cannot manage it, ask an IT specialist. Only go back to online banking once you are sure the computer is clean.

    Source: politie.nl (opens in a new window)

  6. Get advice from the Fraudehelpdesk

    Call the Fraudehelpdesk on 088-786 7372: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9:00 to 12:00 and from 13:00 to 15:30, Wednesday from 13:00 to 15:30. You can file a report at any time through the web form on its site. The Fraudehelpdesk uses reports to advise victims and warn others.

    Source: fraudehelpdesk.nl (opens in a new window)

  7. Check your DigiD and your ID document

    Did you log in with DigiD on that computer? Change your password in My DigiD and check your usage history to see whether someone else logged in. If you can no longer log in, call the DigiD helpdesk on 088 123 65 55. Was there a copy of your passport, ID card or driving licence on the computer? Report it to the Identity Fraud Reporting Point (CMI) of the National Office for Identity Data: 088 900 10 00.

    Source: digid.nl (opens in a new window)

  8. Bank says no? Complain, then go to Kifid

    First file a complaint with your bank. If the bank rejects it, or you have no final answer after 8 weeks, you can go to Kifid, the Dutch complaints institute for financial services. It is free for consumers. You have at least 1 year from the day you first complained to your bank.

    Source: kifid.nl (opens in a new window)

Will I get my money back?

It depends on who made the payment. Did the scammer make it, for example through malware or a remote access program, without your approval? Then it is an unauthorised payment. Your bank must refund it, at the latest by the end of the next business day after it learned of it (Article 7:528 of the Dutch Civil Code). That does not apply if you committed fraud, or if you intentionally or with gross negligence failed to protect your card, app or login codes or to report misuse (Articles 7:524 and 7:529). The bank has to prove that gross negligence (Article 7:527). Report such a payment without delay and within 13 months of the debit at the latest (Article 7:526).

The banks' safety rules ask you not to install illegal software and to keep your computer updated and protected. If you did not fully follow them, that does not automatically mean you get nothing back: the bank assesses each case on its own and has its own goodwill policy.

Did you transfer the money yourself, or approve the payment yourself while someone was watching your screen? Then the law does not oblige the bank to refund you. Did someone pretend to work for your bank (bank helpdesk fraud)? Then banks usually do pay out of goodwill, provided, among other things, that you reported it to the police, it concerns a personal account and it is the first time.

Did you pay by credit card yourself, for example for a fake program? First complain to the seller, or try to, and keep your e-mails or chats. If you cannot sort it out together, dispute the payment with your card company. ICS asks for proof of that contact and needs your dispute within 3 months of the transaction at the latest.

With PayPal you report a payment you did not make within 13 months. You open a dispute with a seller within 180 days of the payment; if what you got is significantly different from its description, within 30 days of delivery.

An iDEAL payment cannot be reversed: all you can do is ask the recipient for your money back.

Nobody can promise you will get everything back.

Make your letter

Fill in your details and you get a letter or summary that you check and send yourself. FFCheck sends nothing and files no police report or notification for you.

Read in the Is Dit Veilig? guide how this scam works and how to recognise it next time.

Read the guide

Problem by problem, which organisation to call or e-mail: FFCheck’s Bij Wie? (Who do I contact?).

Open Bij Wie?

Living in another European country? The ffcheck.eu contact finder names the right organisation for each country.

Official help

  • Your own bank

    Blocks your card and online banking, tries to stop payments and decides on a refund or goodwill payment. The banks' fraud numbers are listed on Veilig Bankieren.

    veiligbankieren.nl

  • Police

    Takes your report and can secure traces on your computer, at your home if you prefer.

    0900-8844 politie.nl

  • Fraudehelpdesk

    Gives personal advice on your next steps and logs your report to warn others.

    088-786 7372 fraudehelpdesk.nl

  • DigiD helpdesk

    Helps if you can no longer log in to My DigiD or think someone else is using your DigiD.

    088 123 65 55 digid.nl

  • Identity Fraud Reporting Point (CMI)

    Helps if a copy of your ID document was on the computer, to stop misuse of your details and repair the consequences.

    088 900 10 00 rijksoverheid.nl

  • Kifid

    Assesses your complaint free of charge if your bank refuses to refund you and you cannot settle it together.

    kifid.nl

Frequently asked questions

I installed the program myself. Can I still get anything back?

Possibly. If money left your account without you approving the payment, the bank must refund it, unless the bank proves you were grossly negligent (Articles 7:527 and 7:529 of the Dutch Civil Code). In their safety rules, the banks do ask you not to install illegal software and to keep your computer updated. If you did not fully follow those rules, the bank decides case by case whether that counts as gross negligence. Each bank also has its own goodwill policy. If you disagree with your bank, you can go to Kifid.

Should I reinstall my computer straight away?

No, report it first. The police advise not to reinstall the computer until the report has been filed and the traces are secured. The police sometimes ask permission to make a copy of your computer. Do take it offline and do not use it for banking. Afterwards, remove the malware with an updated virus scanner or reset the computer to factory settings.

My files are encrypted and they want a ransom. Should I pay?

The Fraudehelpdesk advises against paying. After payment the files usually do not come back, or only partly, and the malware can stay on the computer. Take the computer offline and unplug USB sticks and external hard drives. Report it to the police. On nomoreransom.org, a site run by the police and two security companies, there are keys that can sometimes undo the lock.

How quickly do I have to tell my bank?

Right away. The law says you report misuse without delay (Article 7:524 of the Dutch Civil Code). Report a payment you did not make within 13 months of the debit at the latest; after that the bank can refuse to reverse it (Article 7:526). Anything that happens with your card or app after you report it is not at your expense, unless you committed fraud yourself (Article 7:529(4)).

My credit card details were on that computer. What should I do?

Have your credit card blocked by your bank or card company and check your statements. If you see amounts you do not recognise, report them right away and also report it to the police, as ICS advises. Want to dispute a payment you made yourself? First complain to the seller, or try to, and keep your e-mails or chats. If you cannot sort it out together, dispute the payment with your card company; at ICS within 3 months of the transaction at the latest.

Do I need a police report to get my money back?

For bank helpdesk fraud, a police report is one of the conditions for a goodwill payment from your bank. ICS also asks you to report credit card misuse to the police straight away. Veilig Bankieren advises reporting even if you lost nothing: the names, account numbers and phone numbers in reports help the police track down criminals.

Official sources

Last checked: 27 October 2026

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