Vulnerable labour chains
Last week, six individuals in possession of forged identity documents were discovered at the distribution centre of a major Dutch supermarket chain. The case is now under investigation by the Labour Inspectorate and the Public Prosecution Service. This case once again highlights the vulnerability of our labour chains. What can companies learn from this?
Counterfeiting at the gate: faster, smarter, harder to spot
The Greek ID cards used appeared legitimate, but the individuals in question were found to be Georgian citizens registered in the Non-Resident Registry. This is a clear form of identity fraud. It’s not an advanced deepfake, but it’s enough to pass the check.
This is happening more and more often, and at an increasing rate. Identity fraud has become a profitable business model. For employers, this means that without proper control of authenticity and employment law, considerable risks are brought into the workplace.
It’s not just a broadcasting problem – it’s a chain problem
In this case, the employees were provided by a temporary employment agency that is part of the supermarket chain. This means that it is not just an issue for the temporary employment agency, but for the entire chain. Anyone who hires is partly responsible for who comes in, including via third parties.
Inspections are becoming stricter, and employers can no longer hide behind their suppliers. If something goes wrong, the Labour Inspectorate looks at the entire chain.
What this case reveals: paper control is not enough
Many organisations still rely on manual checks or copies of IDs. But that offers false security. In practice, there is often no closed process for:
- verification of authenticity features (MRZ, holograms, chip data),
- checking for valid residence or work status,
- and demonstrable documentation for inspection or audit.
Without these controls, your onboarding process is a high-risk operation.
Responsibility starts with the intake
The solution is not to increase administration, but to get off to a better start. If someone checks identity, employment rights and all relevant documents when hiring, they will know who they are hiring.
Why? Because speed and certainty go hand in hand, provided your processes are set up accordingly.
Now what?
This situation is no exception. Companies that still work with loose documents, visual checks or email verifications are consciously accepting risks.
Real certainty starts with a demonstrable, digital and watertight process. Not reactive, but structural.
Now is the time to properly set up your processes – before someone else points out that you need to do so.
