Watch out for fake invoices from “Jouw Domein Nederland”

From more and more corners, reports are coming in about fraudulent invoices from a party posing as “Jouw Domein Nederland”. These scammers send professional-looking invoices for domain registration, hosting or related services that you’ve never purchased. We want to ask everyone to be sharp when suspicious invoices come in, so you don’t lose money unnecessarily to internet fraud. Do you receive an invoice for online matters that you’re not sure you ever signed up for? Then contact us before clicking on anything. We’re happy to take a look with you.

How does this fraud work?

The scam often starts with an email from an unknown sender, for example a generic Gmail address. To make it look legitimate, genuine Dutch sender names are used. Attached you’ll find a professional-looking invoice from “Jouw Domein Nederland”, with:

An amount that’s not too high to stand out, so it seems more credible and you transfer the money without thinking.
Vague descriptions without specific details about which domain it concerns, or which contract.
A foreign account number, often starting with PT500 (Portugal), which is unusual for Dutch services.
Forceful language, such as “payment counts as confirmation of order” or warnings about collection costs for late payment.

Scammers count on the busyness of entrepreneurs: caught up in the daily rush, you might pay without properly checking. Sometimes they threaten loss of your domain name to pressure you. If you pay, you’ve lost the money.

Recognise the signs of a fake invoice

Be alert to these red flags to recognise fake invoices:

Unexpected sender: you have no relationship with “Jouw Domein Nederland” and don’t recognise the name, the email address or other details.
Vague descriptions: the invoice speaks generally about “domain registration” or “hosting” without details about the specific services.
Deviating bank details: payment to a foreign account number, such as in this case in Portugal, is a clear sign of fraud.
Forceful tone: when you’re pressured to pay quickly, with threats about extra costs, it’s often fraud.
No recognisable service provider: check whether the contact details match your own hosting provider. Doesn’t it match? Then get in touch with your own provider straight away.

If several, or even just one, of these signs is present, don’t trust it. We’d much rather you call us to check whether it’s a genuine invoice, than that you lose your money to a scammer.

What should you do if you receive a fake invoice?

When you’re in doubt about a received invoice, we recommend acting smart to prevent damage.

Never pay right away: in doubt? Set the invoice aside and check the details.
Check with your own provider: get in touch with your hosting provider to verify whether the invoice is legitimate. We’re happy to help!
Mark as spam: delete the email or mark it as phishing in your inbox to block future messages.
Report it: report the attempt to the Fraudehelpdesk to contribute to fighting this scam. Share your experience online to warn others.
Protect your business: inform your team about expected invoices and train them to be critical of unexpected bills for domains, hosting or any other service.

By staying alert, we make scammers powerless. Together we can put a stop to this kind of practice.

Stay safe with Webba

At Webba, we take the security of your online presence seriously. If you have questions about your domain, hosting or invoices, we’re ready for you. Get in touch via support@webba.nl or call us at 0591-71 46 99.