When criminals place an order with an online store using someone else's personal information, it's called order fraud. They choose to pay later via Afterpay, Klarna, or Billink and then have the products delivered to a collection point. The victim receives the bill after about 30 days, but by then the damage has already been done.
How can this be?
When a consumer chooses the "pay later" payment option, personal data is entered. Billink or Afterpay screens this data in real time to verify whether the consumer meets the conditions for paying later. If the consumer meets the conditions, the order is completed, and the products are shipped.
Criminals use your personal information and email address to place orders with online stores. They do this because your information is unlikely to be a cause for concern, as you're not a scammer. After ordering the goods, they check your email and quickly delete the order confirmation and other emails related to the order. Once the shipping confirmation email is received, they change the delivery address and have the products sent to a collection point. This email is also deleted so you don't see that someone else is in your inbox.
So, without you noticing, an order has been placed in your name, and the criminals have intercepted and deleted the emails containing the order confirmation and track and trace information.
You will then receive an invitation from Afterpay or Billink after a few weeks to pay your invoice.
What can you do about it?
Protecting yourself against order fraud and other forms of identity theft is easier than you think, but it does take some time. We've created a step-by-step plan to help you avoid becoming a victim in the future.
- Check if your personal data has been exposed. You can do this for free and securely via the F-Secure website: https://www.f-secure.com/nl/home/free-tools/identity-theft-checker
- Change all passwords immediately (especially for your mailbox), and never use the same password for different websites or services.
- Use a password manager and change passwords at least twice a year.
- Whenever possible, always use 2-Step Verification.
Report it to the police
Reporting the crime to the police won't directly lead to the criminals being arrested. However, it's still important. It gives the justice department a better understanding of the problem and allows them to focus on better information provision and prevention. Recently, a network of criminals who had ordered over €100,000 worth of goods on credit was dismantled . If you're a victim of this network, your report can be included in the prosecution and contribute to heavier sentences.
You can't report identity theft online. You must come to the police station. Make an appointment by calling 0900-8844.
Novus Fumus helps to catch fraudster
In December 2022, we received an order from a customer, and shortly afterward, a WhatsApp message from the same person asking if we could change the delivery address. This question is becoming more common now, and initially, nothing seemed to be wrong. Until the next day, we received a call from a victim of order fraud.
Because the package hadn't yet been delivered to a collection point, we consulted with the victim and filed a report with the local police. Long story short: The fraudster was arrested by the police while attempting to collect the package from the collection point!
Naturally, we're proud to have contributed to a better society. What we find sad is that we were the only online store willing to cooperate with the victim. It's a shame that other online stores don't have the time to do this.
