Thousands of people have reported receiving fake traffic fines in recent weeks, the Dutch Central Judicial Collection Agency (CJIB) has said. The fraudulent fines were sent by email, SMS, and messaging apps, although the CJIB never issues fines through digital means.
Last week alone, the CJIB fielded 5,200 calls from people questioning whether the fines they had received were real. Normally, the agency gets only a few dozen such reports each week. The reason for the surge is unclear, and authorities are currently investigating.
People can verify the authenticity of a fine or notice via cjib.nl. “Criminals are constantly trying to trick people out of money in every way imaginable. Thankfully, cjib.nl provides guidance and lets you check whether a fine or notice is legitimate,” said CJIB director Johan Bac.
A large number of the fraudulent messages warn recipients that they must pay an outstanding fine within 24 hours to prevent it from increasing or to avoid losing their driving license. Fraudulent emails refer to fines between 150 and 680 euros, sometimes warning that the amount will be doubled if not paid on time.
These messages include links to counterfeit websites where victims are tricked into sending money and providing personal details, including their date of birth, phone number, and home address.
Experts believe the sharp rise in reports may be connected to a recent major data breach at telecom provider Odido, which exposed the personal information of millions of customers.
Alongside email and SMS, there has been a notable rise in fraudulent messages sent through WhatsApp, marking a relatively new development in CJIB-related scams.
Official CJIB traffic fines can be identified by a large letter M in the top right corner of the mailed notice. Digital notifications are only sent through the Berichtenbox on MijnOverheid, never via direct links in emails or SMS messages.
The CJIB recommends that people double-check any bank account number on a fine against the official account numbers provided on the CJIB website whenever they are unsure.
Reporting by ANP and NL Times
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