In the second half of 2018, the damage caused by phishing for bank security codes was just under € 2.4 million. In the first six months of this year, that damage increased to more than 3 million euros. Damage due to fraud with sent, stolen or lost bank cards increased from 2 million euros in the last half of 2018 to just under 2.6 million euros in the first six months of this year.
"Tackling digital payment fraud which includes phishing, is being taken very seriously by the government," says Grapperhaus. According to the minister, ultimately the most effective way to combat phishing is to prevent it. "This starts with the awareness of the people themselves, for example when clicking on links. In order to increase that awareness, I have a large number of public and private parties in 2019, including the banks, support the publicity campaign "First check, then click ", Grapperhaus adds in his letter to the Dutch Government.
According to the minister, ecommerce vendors also state that training users is the best way to combat phishing. He provides some examples, like warning users to watch it when a link shows up into a chat conversation, and use two-factor authentication and secure payment solutions.
The minister also said that in Holland, generally victims of phishing will be compensated for the damage, unless they themselves have acted "fraudulent or grossly negligent", the Dutch Safety Rules mandate this. In the first half of 2019, 97.9 percent of the damage caused by such phishing was paid to the customer.
In conclusion, Grapperhaus repeats the importance of awareness. "Preventing fraud, including banking fraud through phishing, is a matter for many public and private parties and starts with the awareness of citizens and companies themselves."
We could not agree more.