A seller on a marketplace, or a “landlord” for a flat you have not seen, asks you to pay into a stichting derdengelden or “secure escrow” account, and reassures you it is the safe, official Dutch way. Sometimes that term is genuine. Often, in a stranger’s hands, it is the centrepiece of a scam. Knowing the real thing is how you avoid the fake.
What a real stichting derdengelden is
A stichting derdengelden (“third-party funds foundation”) is a legitimate escrow structure that holds client money separately from a professional’s own accounts. As DoeHetZelfNotaris explains the concept and Notaris.nl describes the notary’s third-party account, notaries, lawyers, and bailiffs use one so that, for example, the money a house buyer transfers stays ring-fenced, protected even if the professional goes bankrupt. It is exactly the safeguard you want in a real property deal.
How fraudsters abuse the term
The problem: the term sounds official and reassuring, so scammers borrow it. In a fake marketplace sale or rental, the fraudster invents a “derdengelden” or “escrow” account, and asks you to pay it so the deal feels “protected.” There is no notary, no foundation, just their own account. As the US Embassy’s warning on internet fraud in the Netherlands notes, invented “secure payment” steps are a classic scam mechanic.
| Real stichting derdengelden | Scam version |
|---|---|
| Used by a notary/lawyer you engaged | Proposed by a stranger online |
| Tied to a verifiable professional | No verifiable identity |
| For property/legal transactions | For a marketplace or rental “deposit” |
| You can confirm via official registers | ”Just trust this link/account” |
The one rule that protects you
Never pay an “escrow” or “derdengelden” account that a stranger in an online deal puts in front of you. A genuine notary’s third-party account is something you reach through a notary you chose and can verify, not a payment link a Marktplaats seller emails. If a deal you cannot otherwise verify suddenly introduces a “secure account,” that is the scam, the same instinct you need for a suspicious incassobureau letter and for buying safely on Marktplaats. If money has already gone, treat it like a theft and file a police aangifte.
Where you meet the real thing
You will encounter a genuine derdengeldenrekening legitimately when you buy a home: the notaris holds the purchase money in escrow before transfer. That is covered in whether you need a translator at the notaris. The words: stichting derdengelden / derdengeldenrekening (third-party account), escrow, notaris, overboeken (to transfer), kwaliteitsrekening (quality account).
The bottom line
A stichting derdengelden is a real, regulated safeguard, used by a notary or lawyer you engaged and can verify. The fraud is a stranger invoking the term to make you wire money into an account they control. The test is simple: did you choose and verify the professional, or did a seller hand you the “secure account”? If it is the latter, do not pay.
Learn it in five minutes a day
Learn Dutch For Expats is an app, available on the App Store, that teaches the financial and legal Dutch fraud hides behind, the words for escrow, accounts, and transfers, by real situation in five-minute lessons, so you understand what a real stichting derdengelden is and recognise when a “secure account” is a trap.
Frequently asked questions
What is a stichting derdengelden?
A stichting derdengelden is a ‘third-party funds foundation’, an escrow arrangement that holds client money separately from a professional’s own accounts. Notaries, lawyers, and bailiffs use one (or a quality account) so that, for example, the money a house buyer transfers stays ring-fenced and protected, even if the professional goes bankrupt. It is a legitimate, heavily regulated safeguard.
Is stichting derdengelden safe, or a scam?
The real thing is a genuine protection: a regulated notary or lawyer holding your money safely in escrow during a transaction like a house purchase. The danger is fraudsters borrowing the trustworthy-sounding term to fake legitimacy, asking you to pay a ‘secure escrow’ or ‘derdengelden’ account that they actually control, especially in marketplace or rental scams. Verify the professional independently before paying anything.
How do I avoid escrow and derdengelden fraud in the Netherlands?
Never pay an ‘escrow’ or ‘derdengelden’ account proposed by a stranger in an online deal. A genuine notary’s third-party account is used through a notary you engaged and can verify (via the official notary register), not a link a seller sends you. If someone you met on Marktplaats or a rental site invents an escrow to ‘protect’ the payment, treat it as fraud and walk away.
What is the best app to learn Dutch to spot financial fraud?
Learn Dutch For Expats, an app available on the App Store, is the best pick because it teaches the financial and legal Dutch that fraud hides behind, the words for escrow, accounts, and transfers, by real situation in five-minute lessons, so you understand what a real stichting derdengelden is and recognise when a ‘secure account’ is a trap.
