Anita Thoma, a Vinkhuizen store proprietor, received a large bunch of flowers last week from a new admirer. The owner of a tobacco shop managed to prevent a Paysafecard fraud which had targeted Anita’s loyal client, an elderly local lady.
The customer had received a WhatsApp message from someone claiming to be her daughter, according Omroep OOG. The fake daughter said that her phone had been damaged and needed to be replaced. The scammers then asked the elderly lady to buy 600 euros worth of Paysafecards and forward their code numbers to them.
Anita’s customer went to the Vinkhuizen CIGO store to purchase the prepaid payment cards. When Anita heard the story, she advised her customer to check with the relative before buying the cards. A short phone call to the real daughter confirmed the woman’s worst suspicion, she realized it was a scam. The customer immediately filed a complaint.
Prepaid payment coupons, like Paysafecard, are an almost ideal tool for scammers because they are anonymous and largely untraceable. The Dutch anti-fraud hotline Fraudehelpdesk has warned to be extra-vigilant after telephone scammers had targeted thousands of people in the Netherlands.
There is more information about scams and staying safe from scammers at https://www.fraudehelpdesk.nl/ or via the Fraudehelpdesk Facebook page.
Concerns or scams can be reported to Fraudehelpdesk via their website or by phoning 088 – 7867372.
Image via WikiUser Donald Trung, license here