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Cooperation pays off in tackling tech support scams

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Close cooperation between companies and law enforcement agencies is producing good results in tackling so-called tech support scams.

Man with headset in semi-dark room, used as an image in helpdesk fraud by fake employees pretending to be a bank.

Tech support scams, also known as helpdesk fraud, are a form of cybercrime that claimed many victims in countries including the Netherlands several years ago. In this type of scam, a victim is contacted out of the blue by someone posing as the helpdesk of an IT or software company, or receives a notification from such a fake helpdesk. Criminals also use websites that refer visitors to fake helpdesks and manipulate them to appear near the top of search results. The aim is always to steal money or persuade the victim to make payments.

Watch the video about the successful cooperation against tech support scams.

Still from a video about successful cooperation in tackling tech support scams

Results

During the project to curb tech support scams, now internationally known as ‘The Rotterdam Initiative’, several companies improved their software’s protection against misuse, bitcoin companies made it harder for criminals to buy bitcoins using stolen funds, and the police introduced online crime reporting. Banks also made it more difficult to transfer large amounts.
Taken together, these measures and the special attention paid to the phenomenon have helped curb the growth of tech support scams.

Read the full article (in Dutch)…(opens in new window)

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