Phishing (fake email or text message)

In a phishing scam, scammers send you an email that looks very similar to an email you might receive from your bank. The email says that there is something wrong with your current account, or that your debit card is set to expire and that you can now request a new one for free. These are mere tricks to get you to click a link or button, or scan a QR code, that will lure you to a website that looks like the Internet Banking login page. Unsuspectingly, you enter your login details. The scammer now has your confidential information and is able to access your current and savings account.

Good to know: clicking a link or email attachment may also allow scammers to install malware on your computer. If you’ve received a fake email, forward it to valse-email@nl.abnamro.com and then delete it.

In a smishing scam, scammers don’t send you an email, but rather a text message that looks very similar to a message you might receive from a bank, an institution or a company. If you’ve received a fake text message, forward it to: 097 008 101 095 and then delete it.

The more of these signs you encounter, the greater the chance that you’re dealing with a phishing or smishing scam:

• An odd-looking sender address.
• The email or message asks for personal details
• The email includes a ‘Click here to log in’ link.
• Something is about to expire, such as your debit card or credit card.
• You have to ‘urgently’ take care of something or act ‘fast’ (time pressure).
• The email lacks a personal salutation.

Good to know: we investigate all suspicious emails and text messages you forward to us. Keep sending them in to help us prevent future victims.

1. Always check the sender’s email address by clicking the name of the sender. Scammers often use an email address that looks very similar to that of your bank, credit card company or the tax authorities, for example. If ABN AMRO is the sender, the part of the email address after the @ symbol will always be nl.abnamro.com (@nl.abnamro.com).
2. Always check whether a link in an email or text message from ABN AMRO begins with https://www.abnamro.nl.
3. Use the online tool www.checkjelinkje.nl to check where a link in an email (or text message) will take you and whether that website is likely to be secure. Right-click the link in the email. Click ‘Copy’ and then paste the link in the search bar on www.checkjelinkje.nl using the right mouse button. 
4. Never enter your bank details, PINs, security codes or response codes on a website that you have accessed after clicking a link in an email or text message. That would give scammers access to your online banking environment and to your money. Your bank, credit card company or the tax authorities will never ask you to do that.
5. Remember that we will never ask you to log in to the ABN AMRO app or Internet Banking through a link in an email or text message.
6. Make sure that your passwords are secure and change them regularly. And ensure that your telephone and computer/laptop have the latest software and security updates installed.