The Charleroi prosecutor’s office and the federal judicial police sound the alarm: a new form of cybercrime is increasingly victims in Belgium. The crooks pretend to be representatives of the IBPT, the police or the prosecution to extract personal information … and money.
A well -established scenario
It all starts with a telephone call, supposedly issued on behalf of the IBPT (Belgian Institute of Postal Services and Telecommunications). The fraudsters claim that the victim is involved, in spite of herself, in a fraudulent telephone subscription linked to an identity theft.
Over the conversation, criminals push the victim to deliver his personal data himself. Then, she is invited to continue exchanges on Microsoft Teams-supposedly to “secure communications”-and to install several applications of cryptocurrencies such as Kraken, Coinbase or Binance, as well as a VPN whose identifiers are transmitted to the crooks.
The trap closes when one of the authors pretends to be a police officer. He claims that the victim is suspected of money laundering because his accounts would have been used for fraudulent activities. He then requires identity documents and bank details.
In some cases, another individual intervenes, claiming to be the king’s prosecutor. More directive and threatening, he orders bank transfers to supposedly official accounts, or even the transfer of funds to cryptocurrency (Ethereum). Victims may also be encouraged to open new bank accounts, then used by crooks to transit money stolen from other people.
Authorities’ councils
The prosecution and the police remind you that An authority will never ask to install an application, provide identifiers or make money transfers in this kind of framework.
In case of doubt:
- Hang up immediately.
- Contact your police station or bank.
- Report any attempted scam via the site www.safeonweb.be or directly from the police.
Authorities call for vigilanceespecially towards the elderly or more vulnerable, which are often the first targets of these well -organized scams.
