Dutch police start publicly shaming scammers into submission

Dutch national police launched a public shaming campaign called 'Game Over?!' targeting 100 suspected scammers. Starting March 9, blurred faces of suspects are displayed on roadside billboards, TV, and online ads. Suspects have until March 19 to turn themselves in, after which their faces will be unblurred on March 23. The campaign targets two major fraud types: fake police officer scams (which surged from 520 cases in 2023 to over 13,000 in 2025) and banking helpdesk fraud. Both schemes primarily victimize elderly and vulnerable people. The dual goal is to identify current suspects and deter young people from being recruited as low-level operatives for fraud organizations.