Police have made eight arrests as a result of a large-scale investigation into fraud involving fake bank helpdesk workers.

Some 150 people reported having been conned out of a total of €1.6 million by the gang, who pretending to work for a bank, the police said on Friday.

The fraudsters used manipulated phone numbers to tell people their account has been hacked, urging them to transfer their money into a ‘safe’ account. Clients were also sent e-mails purportedly from their banks telling them there was a problem with their pin card which would be collected by a bank worker.

The suspects, who were picked up on March 22, are four women and four men aged between 20 and 24, from Almere, Amsterdam and Nigtevegt. All except a 23-year-old man from Almere, have since been released but remain suspects in the case.

Police searched a home in Almere and a bungalow at a holiday park in Uitdam in Noord-Holland where they confiscated electronic devices and cash.

Bank helpdesk fraud has been on the up in the last few years. Banks emphasise they never ask for log-in data or other informatuion about accounts over the phone, or ask people to transfer money.