On 6th May, the FIOD, the Netherlands’ Fiscal Information and Investigation Service, arrested two men, one from Schiedam and the other from The Hague for fraud, forgery and money-laundering. The suspects allegedly posed as suppliers of protective face masks.
The two men defrauded unknowing customers of 80,000 euros ($87,000) by taking money for undelivered orders. They withdrew more than half of the amount in cash, while the bank has now frozen the remainder. The FIOD searched their homes, seized their bank accounts and several documents.
An investigation of scams involving personal protective equipment triggered this arrest. Many people with malicious intents have been finding ways to abuse the coronavirus pandemic. It is important that investigative and public prosecution services prioritize the fight against these new kinds of crime.
