Unique public-private partnership to fight helpdesk scams

ABN AMRO has joined forces with the Dutch authorities and eleven private parties to combat helpdesk scams. The parties involved have signed a declaration of intent, in which each party agrees to contribute its own expertise toward finding a solution for this form of crime.

Helpdesk scams occur when a victim receives a call, generally from a country such as India and Pakistan, from someone claiming to work for the helpdesk of a large and well-known company such as Microsoft. The scammers then use a variety of devious methods to gain access to the victim’s computer and transfer funds via Internet banking. Once transferred, the funds are often swiftly moved out of the country.

„For us, this declaration of intent logically follows from our other partnerships to combat cybercrime and fraud,” explains Emiel den Boer, Head of Crime Prevention at ABN AMRO. „By teaming up with partners from both the financial business and other sectors, we can present a strong united front toward this cowardly form of crime. We believe that it will allow us to better inform and protect not only our own clients, but also the clients of other banks and telecommunication companies.”

This public-private partnership involves a number of private parties, including Microsoft Corporation, Teamviewer GmbH, KPN, VodafoneZiggo, Western Union Company, MoneyGram International, ING, Rabobank, De Volksbank en Dutch bitcoin company association Verenigde Bitcoinbedrijven Nederland. The public sector is represented by the Netherlands Public Prosecution Service, the National Police and the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets.

Source: ABN Amro Bank