A Dutch court has sentenced a 34-year-old man to 30 months in prison, including six months suspended, after he used deepfake technology to open 47 bank accounts under other people’s names.
The case demonstrates how AI-generated or manipulated images can be used to exploit identity-verification systems, potentially enabling further financial crimes.
How the fraud worked
According to the Amsterdam District Court, the man manipulated identity information and photographs containing biometric features to deceive bank verification procedures. Between March and November 2025, he succeeded in opening 47 accounts at ABN AMRO in other people’s names.
The accounts were not simply a collection of fraudulent registrations. Bank cards were subsequently sent to the purported account holders, and the accounts could be used to facilitate additional offences, including bank-helpdesk fraud.
Why identity checks are under pressure
Banks increasingly rely on digital onboarding, where customers can open accounts without visiting a branch. Automated checks may examine identity documents, photographs and biometric information.
Deepfake technology can make manipulated material more convincing, creating new challenges for systems that must distinguish a genuine applicant from an impersonator.
This does not mean that all automated verification is unreliable. It does mean that financial institutions need multiple layers of protection, including checks for manipulated images, additional verification when risk indicators appear and monitoring for suspicious activity after an account is opened.
A warning for the financial sector
The Dutch case differs from the €95 million Italian fraud. In Italy, criminals allegedly used a cloned voice and impersonation to persuade a senior banking executive to approve transfers. In the Netherlands, the court case concerned manipulated identity information used to open bank accounts.
Both examples show how AI can be used to attack different parts of the financial system: the human decision-making process in one case and digital identity verification in the other.
Source: Amsterdam District Court, 2026
https://www.rechtspraak.nl/organisatie-en-contact/organisatie/rechtbanken/rechtbank-amsterdam/nieuws/2026/06/25-jaar-cel-voor-oplichten-bank-met-deepfake-technologie
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