Moving to a new country means learning new systems. Scammers know this.
They don’t target you because you’re careless – they target you because you are new, busy, and trusting official-sounding processes. Here are three common scams Indian expats in Europe keep falling for — often in their first year.
Here are three common scams Indian expats in Europe keep falling for — often in their first year.
1. Very Helpful Rental Agent
What Happens?
This scam begins even before someone lands in the country. You are informed about the housing crisis (which is true) and told to find a house even before arriving. You send a query to every available house you find on the internet, and receive one response. Maybe the landlord is abroad and does not allow your friends or the agent themselves to visit the house. They show pictures that make you want to book the house right away. You express your interest and are told to send advance payment to lock the deal before somebody else gets it. And you lose €1200.
Modus Operandi
A scammer sets up a very neat profile on listing websites, social media, and maybe, even their own website. They know the mental state of a foreigner searching for a house better than a forensic psychologist. All the documents, online presence, communication style looks very authentic.
When asked questions, they will themselves be overly eager to show their legitimacy, like proof of registration with the association, VAT records etc.
Counter Measures
- Send the details about the house and communication with the agent to a friend or future colleague living in the country.
- Ask for an online viewing where you can connect on a whatsapp call and they show you around the house.
- Look for their reviews on Google Reviews and see if there are good reviews that are older than a couple of years.
2. BSN/Steuer-ID Issue
What Happens?
You receive a phone call with a very calm voice (sometimes VoIP) telling you that your identification number has been found to be involved in an illegal activity. Sometimes these messages may mention that an arrest warrent has been issued in your name. You are asked to share more personal details, and transfer bail amount or security money to the government account.
Modus Operandi
These happen with the help of well designed processes and good technology. In most cases we heard, the receivers got an automated call that asked them to press ‘1’ to speak with an officer. The new resident panics and wants to sort it out immediately. The scammer relies on the fact that you were probably in the middle of something else and if unresolved, this issue will be on your head for next few days. The focus is on urgency and you are motivated by fear.
Last time I had to talk to a government personnel, I was on hold for ten minutes, not connected within three seconds.
Counter Measures
- If it sounds like you are in a deep trouble when you should not be, relax and do not take any action before talking to a friend.
- It is okay to ask them to send a letter an hang up the call. You can also mention that you will speak through a lawyer.
- If concerned, look up official contact numbers yourself and call them directly.
3. Lucrative Job Offer
What Happens?
You are contacted by a recruiter who shares a very relatable and attractive opportunity. You may have been contacted via Whatsapp or Telegram, or received email from a generic looking email address like @gmail.com or @outlook.com. Many of these scams offer remote job opportunity, so you have even less chance to validate their authenticity.
You are usually asked to provide your documents like Passport, Identity card, Visa etc. Many of these scams ask you to transfer money for training, onboarding fee or charges for setting up your working environment.
Modus Operandi
The uncertanity in the current job market, especially when your continued residence is tied to a job makes it much easier to fall into the scam.
Many of these job offers promise high salaries and a very quick and smooth interview process. Usually there is rarely an interview though in some cases we heard from the community, there were a few rounds of interviews. However these interviews will rarely go into the depth of your area of expertise.
Counter Measures
- Verify the company’s existence and details using the official KVK Business Register
- Know that legitimate employers and recruitment agencies are legally prohibited from charging job seekers a fee for job placements, training, or equipment in the Netherlands.
- Go through their presence on LinkedIn, Glassdoor etc. and compare their data with where you last worked at.
Last time I applied for a decent-paying job, I had to go through five rounds of interview.
How to Stay Safe?
Consider a realistic and common case when a government department contacts someone and ask for money. If you committed a traffic offense, in most cases, you will receive a letter from the Ministry of Justice and Security by post rather than a phonecall from an unknown number. The letter will contain information like:
- Payable amount (including administration fees)
- Increased amount if you do not pay on time (one or two amounts)
- Description of the offence, including date, time, exact location e.g. exit number of the highway
- Considerable time to make the payment, often 4-6 weeks
- Details about your rights and how you can object to this decision
However if it is a scam, at least one of these point will be missing.
So – one word: awareness. If you know how processes work, how they do not, and take a moment before you panic when you receive a call from an “Income Tax Officer” – you will know what to do when such an incident really occurs. If you receive an official sounding phone call, look for the following:
- Caller usually does not speak the local language. Try to greet them in Dutch and ask them to repeat the question, even if you speak with a strong accent – a scammer will be confused and will continue speaking in English. All it takes is “Kunt u dat herhalen?”
- Caller asks for PINs, OTPs, verification codes. They may ask you for personal information like BSN or Date of Birth. Remember that even your pharmacist asks you for your Birthdate, but it is you who called them, not the other way around.
- They suggest urgency to “fix an account issue” or “pay the fine to avoid the police coming to your door”. Official processes take their time and the officers know that people need time to validate what they said, and consult an expert.
We would like to know your stories or tips on how you recommend fellow expats to stay safe. Write to us.
