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Phishing fraudsters stole 39.8 million euro from Belgian bank accounts in 2022

According to figures released by the banking federation Febelfin, 39.8 million euro were stolen in Belgium through phishing last year. This is a sharp increase of 60% on the amount defrauded in this way during 2021. Online fraudsters are reported to have taken advantage of the energy crisis in order steal cash from their unsuspecting victims. 

Phishing is a form of fraud that sees criminals "fish" for the bank detains such as pin codes of their potential victims. They do so by posing as a known or trusted organisation such as a utilities company, a bank or a public body.

The increase in the amount stolen through phishing is linked to a sharp increase in the number of phishing messages that are being sent out . According to the study by Febelfin and the research bureau Indiville, 69% of Belgians have received at least one phishing message in the last six months.

This is confirmed by figures from the Belgian Centre for Cybersecurity. During 2022 Belgian Internet users passed on fewer than six million suspicious messages to "suspect@safeonweb.be", an email address where phishing and other forms of internet fraud can be reported. This is 1.5 million more than 2021.

The study reveals that 8% of Belgians say they have already been the victim of phishing. This percentage is higher among young people. Extra reasources are being given to the prevention of phishing and making sure that cash fraudulently obtained through phishing is recovered. Febelfin says that 75% of all fraudulent cash transfers resulting from phishing are detected and blocked or recovered.

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