Netherlands
Petty crime
Robbery, pickpocketing and bag snatching are common.
Pickpocketing happens in Amsterdam, especially:
- around tourist attractions
- in restaurants and hotels
- on public transport
- at transport hubs
Bag snatching also happens on trains and trams, including at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. Mobile devices are often targeted.
Thieves often work in pairs, with one distracting you and the other stealing from you. ATMs around nightclubs and bars are frequent targets.
Take care of your personal belongings, particularly on public transport and in busy tourist spots.
Thieves sometimes pose as plain-clothes police officers. They may ask to check money and credit cards to look for counterfeits. They will then rob you.
If plain-clothes police ask to check your money or credit cards, offer to walk with them to the nearest police station to verify their identity and their demands.
Drink spiking also happens.
To protect yourself from drink spiking:
- don’t leave drinks unattended
- don’t accept drinks from strangers
Scams and fraud
‘Advance fee fraud’ and lottery scams happen. Australians have lost large amounts of money in these scams.
In the ‘advance fee fraud’ scam, you receive an email about an inheritance or another offer of money. This email usually comes from a country in Africa. The scammer asks you for an advance payment for ‘official expenses’. You’re invited to visit the Netherlands to finalise the transaction, but you won’t get any money. When you return to Australia, sham lawyers may also offer to ‘help’ get your lost money back.
In the lottery scam, scammers contact you to say you’re the winner of a fake foreign lottery. They request you to pay administration costs to receive the lottery winnings.
To avoid being a victim of a scam:
- be wary of online contact from people you don’t know
- don’t send money until you’ve thoroughly checked who you’re sending it to
- if you suspect a scam, get legal advice
Read the original advice at SmartTraveller.gov.au by Australian Government