Bank-helpdesk fraud (spoofing): how to recognize a fake call from "ING", "Rabobank" or "ABN AMRO"

How does this scam actually work in practice?

Step by step: this is how scammers build the scenario. The faster you spot the pattern, the sooner you can hang up or click away.

1. 01
   The scammer calls with a spoofed caller ID: your screen shows the real 0900 number or your bank's fraud line, because VoIP lets criminals set any source number they want.
2. 02
   The caller introduces themselves as "fraud-department employee" and claims suspicious transactions have been made from your account, often from "Romania, Poland or some other distant place".
3. 03
   You're told your money must be "secured" immediately by transferring it to a "safe account" or "vault account" at the Nederlandsche Bank (DNB, Dutch central bank).
4. 04
   Sometimes the scammer asks for your login credentials, sometimes a TAN code, sometimes your bank card + PIN (which is later "collected" by a fake courier at your door — a physical follow-up).
5. 05
   Increasingly a two-step approach: first WhatsApp fraud by a "child in distress", then a "bank employee" calls to confirm the transfer.
6. 06
   The call often lasts 30-90 minutes during which the victim is mentally held captive: few pauses, sustained pressure, scripts with technical jargon.