Fraudsters were living it up on the ‘hard-earned savings’ of their victims, say the federal police, who offer tips to avoid being scammed
Federal police in East Flanders have dismantled an international phishing ring that defrauded victims in Belgium and other European countries out of more than €100,000. Three suspects have been arrested.
The investigation started last year when the public prosecutor in East Flanders was alerted to some 40 instances of a specific phishing method. Victims received emails that appeared to be from My eBox, the federal government’s digital document platform.
Clicking through brought people to a very realistic-looking fake My eBox page, complete with several banking logos. They were asked to provide their banking account details and confirm with itsme or a card reader.
The fraudsters then transferred money from their accounts to major platforms such as Booking.com, Uber and PayPal Singapore.
‘Life of luxury’
“The suspects lived a life of luxury with the hard-earned savings of their victims,” said Patrick Willocx of the East Flanders federal police. “They flaunted luxury vacations, expensive vehicles and extravagant lifestyles on social media.”
Earlier this year, police arrested two suspects at an Airbnb accommodation in Brussels. A third suspect was arrested in Italy and extradited to Belgium.
The investigating judge in Dendermonde ordered the detention of all three suspects. The investigation into the full scope of the fraud and any other individuals involved is ongoing.
Tips to prevent becoming a victim of phishing
Police warn people to be vigilant when it comes to phishing attempts. The most important tip: Never click on an email that appears to be from a government agency or bank. Instead go directly to the website in question and log-in from there.
Authorities also say to never provide bank account information, which official institutions would never ask for, and to never hand over a bank card to people at your front door who claim to be from your bank.
Anyone who receives a phishing email is asked to forward it to verdacht@safeonweb.be. This can help authorities track what kind of fraud is making the rounds and potentially use the information in current or future investigations.
Anyone who is a victim of phishing should contact their bank immediately and ask for their account to be blocked. This can also be done 24-hours-a-day via Fraudstop at 078 170 170.