Meldpunt Fraudehelpdesk has received significantly more fraud reports in the first half of this year. The organization sees a particular increase in the number of reports about fake phone calls by bogus helpdesks and about misleading sales practices, for example, by handyman services that charge extreme prices.
In the first six months of 2025, the Fraudehelpdesk received slightly more than 44,500 reports. That is almost half as many again as in the same months last year. The number of victims who lost money also increased: almost 6,700. According to the reporting center, the total financial damage remained about the same and amounted to more than 26.8 million euros.
Fraud by fake helpdesks was the most reported and, according to the organization, is a “clearly growing problem”. The organization also finds the increasing number of reports about misleading sales practices striking. There were almost 2,400 in the first half of 2025, compared to just over 800 a year earlier.
Deception by some handyman companies has been going on for years, but the number of reports about it is growing. According to the helpdesk, these are, for example, locksmiths, roofers and pest controllers who appear at the top of internet search results. Often no clear price agreements are made in advance and companies charge high amounts afterwards, sometimes even for work that has not been carried out.
Fraudehelpdesk director Henriëtte Bongers advocates better regulation. For example, she is in favor of a quality mark for handyman companies: “Especially in this gray area between poor performance and fraud, we can really make a difference with regulation.”