Reporting misconduct and signals

The AFM’s supervision is risk-driven. To effectively identify the key risks, we also rely on your reports of misconduct. Help us to combat fraud, scamming and other abuses at financial enterprises. Your information can make an important contribution. You may be confronted with issues in your business or in the sector that could conflict with compliance with laws that are subject to supervision by the AFM. Financial enterprises have a statutory obligation to report certain facts to the AFM. These include changes in the on policymakers or members of the supervisory organ. Incidents must also be reported to the AFM.

Some examples of situations that you are obliged to report

Changes to the background information of policymakers or members of the supervisory organ may for instance concern changes to the information you have previously given to the AFM in connection with the properness testing of this person or persons. Such changes must be reported to the AFM in writing without delay as soon as they come to light.
Actions or events that constitute a serious threat to the ethical conduct of the business must be reported to the AFM. These situations are also known as ‘incidents’. Furthermore, anyone involved with or working at a financial enterprise can report misconduct.

Other notifications and signals

The list only states some examples of notifications that you can do and is not exhaustive:

the provision of financial services without a licence, or without the correct licence
cases of fraud, forgery or scamming
conspicuously poor advice to consumers on financial products
you work in financial services and you are aware that the company you work for is not or may not be in compliance with the provisions of the Wfm BES and the Wwft BES
you know someone in financial services that has committed a criminal offence
there may be an uneven playing field.

Report as much detail as possible

It is important that you report a signal in as much detail as possible. This may include screen shots, brochures, written information such as offers and any information on the reporting party if appropriate. This will enable the AFM to assess the signal properly and the signal will then be more valuable for the officer dealing with it at the AFM.

How can you submit reports?

Send your report (and any additional information) quoting the reference MF15 to the e-mail address: meldingenformulier@afm.nl. If you send the information by regular mail, please use the following address:

The Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets

Supervision Service Centre - Signals Team

Antwoordnummer 11090

1001 GS Amsterdam

Mail to this address is free of charge.

Questions

If you have questions regarding the submission of a report, contact our colleagues at the Business Desk by telephone on 0800-6800 680 (free of charge) or if you are calling from outside the Netherlands: +31 20 797 2000 or by e-mail to ondernemersloket@afm.nl.