The East Flanders public prosecutor's office will no longer investigate cases of internet fraud in cases in which the victim lost less than 1,000 euros. The magistrates have too few staff to process the large number of reports.
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East Flemish public prosecutors no longer investigating internet scams below 1,000 euros
Colin Clapson
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The lower limit of 1,000 euros applies to cases of phishing, when fraudulent e-mails or messages have been sent out, and internet scams, when scammers try to gain your trust and then ask for money.
"The large number of reports means the police and judiciary don’t possess the capacity to make every report the subject of an in-depth investigation," the public prosecutor's office says. "No limits will apply to other forms of cybercrime including hacking, malware and ransomware, for example."
In the first five months of this year, there were 88 reports of phishing in the Ghent police zone.
Police stress that people should continue to report all cases, even if they have been scammed for less than 1,000 euros, because this can help track down criminal networks.