Trace, despite disguise
The criminals call the victims, present themselves as a bank employee of, for example, the fraud department and the victims tell that unusual transactions are taking place from their account at that time or that many burglars are in the area, for example.
They then hand over their bank card and code, which is pinned at an ATM. “With the help of those images – which are broadcast at Bureau NH or Opsporing Verzocht – these pinners can be traced very often, despite the disguise they sometimes use.”
Years in prison
Not so long ago, a 22-year-old Haarlemmer was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison in connection with involvement in chat tricks. “The risks that a pinner runs cannot be underestimated,” says Van der Most. “Although it is a link within a larger whole, it is an indispensable link and that is why we demand high penalties and sometimes also put on courts.”
Because the pinner is often the person who ultimately has to appear in court, he is also the one who has to pay the compensation and that sometimes involves large amounts: thousands and tens of thousands of euros. “Those penalties are not tender.”
Criminal organization
And that in turn has to do that sometimes membership of a criminal organization is charged. “If a chat trick method has been applied on a large scale and several victims have been made and several times have been used from the same courier or pinner, there is a criminal organization and the penalties are really considerably higher,” continues the press officer.