SurePay launches free IBAN check for Dutch taxpayers

SurePay has launched a free IBAN verification tool for Dutch taxpayers following a bank account switch by the Dutch tax authority.

The tool lets users check whether an IBAN matches the official Rabobank accounts now used by the Belastingdienst, the Netherlands' tax authority. It is intended to stop criminals diverting tax payments through fake instructions sent during the transition from the authority's previous banking arrangement.

Fraud specialists have long warned that administrative changes can create openings for scams. When an organisation changes payment details, customers and citizens may be more likely to accept new account numbers without question, giving fraudsters an opportunity to send convincing messages that redirect funds.

SurePay said the risk is particularly acute for Authorised Push Payment fraud, in which victims are persuaded to transfer money themselves. Criminals are increasingly exploiting institutional events such as mergers, regulatory changes, supplier account updates and government banking changes, it said.

The Dutch market already faces heavy losses from fraud. Figures cited by SurePay from the Global Anti-Scam Alliance showed that scammers stole €2.6 billion in the Netherlands over the past year. The company also cited data showing that 22% of Dutch people reported losing money to scammers in 2025.

Bank transfer fraud is a central part of that problem. According to figures highlighted by SurePay, 50% of funds lost to scammers in the Netherlands were sent by bank or wire transfer, compared with an EU average of 25%.

Artificial intelligence has added to the concern. Research from Conclusion, cited by SurePay, found that 78% of Dutch people can no longer tell real from fake because of AI, making phishing messages and payment requests harder to identify.

The verification tool is designed to provide a quick public check. Users can enter an IBAN and receive confirmation on whether it matches the Belastingdienst's official banking details. The service does not require login details or registration, according to SurePay.

Fraud window

The launch also reflects a wider regulatory shift in European payments. Verification of Payee systems check whether an account name matches the IBAN before a transfer is completed, helping banks and users spot errors or signs of fraud before money leaves an account.

The process has become more prominent since eurozone banks were required to adopt Verification of Payee under the EU Instant Payments Regulation. The rule has increased focus on account verification as a fraud prevention measure across the bloc.

SurePay processes more than 20 million checks a day across Europe and works with more than 250 banks and 20,000 organisations in 16 countries, according to company figures.

The Belastingdienst has used SurePay's IBAN-Name Check service since 2023 to protect its internal payment processes. The new public tool extends that verification approach to citizens making payments to the tax authority during the account migration.

David-Jan Janse, chief executive officer and founder of SurePay, described the account change as a period of elevated fraud risk.

"This is a textbook fraud window. An institution like the tax authority switching bank accounts is a gift to scammers and exactly the moment that criminals thrive on. This is why SurePay exists, because everyone deserves a simple way to be sure before money moves," Janse said.

The account switch is a routine administrative move, but it comes at a time when banks, regulators and payment groups across Europe are trying to reduce losses from scams that rely on social engineering rather than direct system breaches. In those cases, the victim authorises the transfer, making detection and recovery harder once the money has gone.

For public bodies, the challenge is sharper because taxpayers may expect occasional changes in payment instructions and assume communications are genuine if they appear to come from an official source. That can make government transitions attractive targets for fraudsters.

SurePay's checker focuses on a simple question that can interrupt that process before funds are sent: whether the account number provided matches the tax authority's official banking details. In payment fraud, that pause can be enough to stop money reaching a criminal account.