Seven in ten Dutch people say fake online shops are now almost impossible to spot
- Detecting Financial Crime
Hans Sjouke Koopal
Press Officer Private Banking, Personal & BB
In the past year, one in four Dutch people ordered from an online shop they had doubts about
Nearly one in four Dutch people (24 percent) ordered from an online shop in the past year despite having doubts about its trustworthiness, according to a flash survey commissioned by ABN AMRO. With Black Friday and the festive season approaching, the number of online purchases is set to increase. On Black Friday in 2025, households spent around 30 percent more than on an average day*. It is especially important to take care buying online during this busy shopping period. Seven in ten Dutch people say they now find it almost impossible to spot fake online shops. Checkjelinkje, a platform for checking links, confirms that distinguishing fraudulent sites is becoming increasingly difficult. Following its latest update this month, the platform checks 274 percent more types of data points than it did at the end of 2024.
Dutch people rely on the wrong signals or ignore trustworthiness in pursuit of a good deal:
Almost one in five Dutch people assume an online shop is trustworthy if it appears at the top of search engines such as Google or Bing.
One in seven is more concerned about a good price than about how well known an online shop is.
One in seven is not concerned about how well known an online shop is if it stocks the product they are looking for.
Kathelijne Swaak, fraud expert at ABN AMRO: “Fake online shops have become so sophisticated in recent years that they are almost indistinguishable from real ones. Using AI, scammers can create an online shop in no time, complete with purchased reviews and domain names that resemble those of well-known brands. They can replicate the features we used to check for, so it’s important now to focus mainly on the deal itself. Does it seem too good to be true? If so, that is a red flag for a scam. Take the time to check the link using a link checker or on the police website to see if it has been reported. If you are in any doubt, remember that sometimes the best deal is the one you walk away from.”
Younger shoppers more likely to go for a cheap deal
Younger generations take the most risks. Three in ten Dutch people aged under 30 bought from an online shop in the past year despite having doubts about its trustworthiness. One in five is more concerned about a low price than about how well known the online shop is. Under time pressure, such as when an offer is about to expire or a product is nearly sold out, almost a quarter of Dutch people under 30 (24 percent) order quickly and carry out fewer checks.
Misplaced confidence
At the same time, Dutch people up to the age of 40 are quite confident in their own ability to spot fraudulent online shops: 28 percent say they can recognise them straight away. Among people aged over 40, that figure is just over one in ten.
Ruben Gommers, founder of Checkjelinkje: “Gone are the days when you could recognise a fake online shop by language errors or a sloppy design. Fraudsters can now fake everything, right down to the payment page. Many of the warning signs are also hidden behind the scenes of a website, where visitors never see them. That is why we check links against many different criteria in just a few seconds. For anyone who is not a security expert, it is simply no longer feasible to do all these checks themselves.”
Most Dutch people already take precautions when shopping online: 89 percent first check whether an unfamiliar online shop is trustworthy. Even so, ABN AMRO advises people to be especially vigilant during the busy shopping weeks. Check the web address before paying, for example using the website (in Dutch) or app. More warning signs of scams can be found in guide (in Dutch).
END OF PRESS RELEASE
About the research
The research was carried out in October 2026 by on behalf of ABN AMRO. The flash survey was conducted among 1,079 Dutch people aged 18 and over and is representative in terms of age, gender, level of education, family situation, employment situation and region.
About Checkjelinkje
Checkjelinkje is a free tool that helps you check whether links and URLs are safe. It scans the URL for malware, phishing and other online threats. The new version of Checkjelinkje processes 274 percent more types of data points than the version in use at the end of 2024. The platform also helps users recognise official websites. Its ‘Bekende namen’ feature shows whether links to recognised brands actually direct users to the brands’ official websites.