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Phishing: recognise and report a fake IND message

Are you not sure if a message is from the IND or from scammers? Find out how to recognise phishing and what to do if you receive a fake IND message.

Be alert: recognise phishing

Do not simply trust a message or phone call. Scammers are constantly thinking of new and more clever ways to deceive you. Here are some examples to help you recognise phishing:

  • You get an e-mail from an email address you do not know. Or the email address looks familiar, but it is slightly different from what you are used to. Do not open the e-mail. Do not open any attachments either. Email addresses from the IND always end in ‘@ind.nl’.
  • You receive a text message with a link to a website asking you to update your personal details. Do not open the link. The IND never sends a link to update personal details in a text message.
  • You get a WhatsApp message with the IND listed as the sender. Do not open the message. The IND never sends WhatsApp messages.
  • A message includes a link or QR code to a website you do not recognise. Check where the link or QR code leads to. Do not click on the link; instead, hover your mouse over it. Or point your phone’s camera at the QR code. You will then see the web address (URL). Web addresses of scammers often have spelling errors. Do not open the website if you spot any. A link to the IND’s website always begins with ‘ind.nl/’.
  • Scammers try to trick you into opening a link. For example, they may promise that you will get financial assistance from the IND if you click on a link. This is not true. Do not open the link.
  • You may be told to take immediate action. Or you may be threatened with serious consequences if you do not do something. Do not do what is asked of you. The IND will never contact you in this way.
  • The message states that you must log in differently than usual. Do not do this. You always log in to the IND in the same way. It is best not to open a link, but to go to www.ind.nl/en yourself to log in.
  • You get a letter with a strange request or a link you do not trust. In My IND, you can see which letters the IND has sent to you.

Report phishing attempts and file a police report

Did you get an email, text or WhatsApp message, phone call or letter in which scammers are pretending it is from the IND? Or are you unsure if a message is real or fake? If so, do the following:

1.    Call the IND. Our staff will help you check if the message is from the IND.
2.    Is it probably a phishing message? And have you, for example, shared personal details via that message, or has money been taken from your account? Report it to the fraud helpdesk. And file a police report.

Want to know more about phishing?

Visit the website of the Central Government (in Dutch only).