Dutch Police Arrest Two Men over €380,000 AI Bank Fraud

Rotterdam police have arrested two men accused of a new form of bank fraud that used AI-generated telephone calls, a counterfeit banking app and near-field communication (NFC) data from victims’ cards to steal funds. In a period of about three weeks, the operation allegedly affected around 170 victims across the Netherlands, resulting in losses of roughly €380,000.

The suspects are a 23-year-old from Vaassen, Gelderland, said to have developed the technology and directed the group, and a 25-year-old from Ede, Gelderland, said to have coordinated the operation. A Rotterdam court has ordered both men to remain in custody for at least 90 more days during the investigation.

Investigators say the scheme began in mid-September when Dutch banks reported the fraud to the Electronic Crimes Task Force (ECTF), a collaboration between banks, police and prosecutors. Police monitored the digital infrastructure, traced the perpetrators, the scam calls and the cash withdrawals. Victims were first contacted by AI-generated recordings warning of suspicious account activity, then connected to someone posing as a bank employee.

The caller urged victims to download a fake banking app and hold their card against the phone to scan it, with the NFC data subsequently used by an accomplice to withdraw money at cash machines or payment terminals. Police described this technical method as one they had not encountered before.