Identity theft nightmare: Eredivisie side fall victim to sophisticated transfer fraud

Mo Allach

FC Groningen have been rocked by a sophisticated identity theft scam that saw an English footballer left stranded at Schiphol airport waiting for a transfer that didn't exist. Scammers posing as the Dutch club’s technical director, Mo Allach (pictured), used forged documents and fake email addresses to dupe agents into believing official negotiations were underway.

FC Groningen and their technical director Mo Allach have officially filed reports with the police following a series of elaborate identity fraud incidents. The scammers have been contacting football agents via telephone and email, pretending to be Allach and expressing interest in various players. The operation is remarkably detailed, utilizing forged documents complete with the club’s official logo, colours, and corporate address to convince representatives that the interest is legitimate.

The deception reaches a climax when a deal appears to be finalized. At this stage, the fraudsters send a payment link, typically to the agent, claiming the funds are required for administrative hurdles. Mo Allach explained the tactic: "That is then supposedly for a medical examination, travel costs and flights." This level of detail has led the club to believe they are dealing with a highly organised criminal gang rather than a lone individual.

The most heartbreaking consequence of the fraud involved an unnamed English player who travelled to the Netherlands under the belief he was signing for the Eredivisie side. Head scout Arno de Jong revealed the extent of the cruelty, stating: "There was actually an English player waiting at Schiphol for transport to Groningen. He really thought he was coming to play for us. But when no one from our side showed up to pick him up, they started to smell a rat. The chances are very high that his agent fell for it and transferred money. That player had even turned down other clubs, who were really interested. Truly very sad."

Aside from the English player, Scandinavian talent Julius Madsen of AC Horsens was another target. Documents obtained by RTV Noord showed a fake contract offer for the Dane involving a €12,000 net monthly salary, a club car, and a four-year deal with an option for an additional year. Crucially, the fraudsters made a technical error by offering net amounts, whereas professional football contracts are almost exclusively negotiated in gross figures. Allach noted: "In the contract proposal there are all kinds of errors. For example, the amounts are net, while in football we always work with gross amounts."

FC Groningen are not the only victims of this trend. Investigations revealed that the forged documents sometimes included the branding of other clubs' sponsors, such as PEC Zwolle, suggesting the scammers are recycling templates. General manager Frank van Mosselveld confirmed that colleagues at other clubs have faced similar issues. "Last season, the name of Jordens Peters, director of Roda JC, was abused in the same way," Van Mosselveld said. "The same happened to Gerry Hamstra of PEC Zwolle."

Despite the sophisticated nature of the emails, some agents have started to spot the red flags, including one instance where a caller’s poor English gave the game away. However, Van Mosselveld warns that the volume of deals at large agencies makes them vulnerable. "If an office is working on twenty deals at the same time, something like this can slip through. They work quite professionally," he admitted. "For example, it is said that the rules in the Netherlands have changed: we would not yet be allowed to register a player with the KNVB because he is still under contract somewhere else. The payment would therefore first have to go through the agent's office." The club has now alerted the KNVB and the Public Prosecution Service to prevent further victims.