Skip to main content

Belgium (BE)

Belgium is a small but densely populated federal kingdom at the crossroads of Western Europe, split across three linguistic regions — Dutch-speaking Flanders, French-speaking Wallonia, and bilingual Brussels — and famed for its medieval cities, world-class beer and chocolate, and its role as the de facto capital of the European Union.

Capital: Brussels
Region: Europe
Language: Dutch
Currency: EUR (€)
Cost of living: Expensive (index 72)
Emergency: 112
Premium

Scam Warnings

Common scams targeting expats in Belgium.

Belgium has a relatively low crime rate but scam activity is rising sharply: Belgians forwarded nearly 10 million suspicious messages to suspicious@safeonweb.be in 2025, and the FSMA reported record financial fraud losses. Three golden rules: never approve an itsme request you did not initiate, always view a property before paying any deposit, and check investment firms on fsma.be before transferring money.

Phishing SMS and email impersonating Belgian banks and government

critical

Highly convincing fake messages impersonate BNP Paribas Fortis, ING, KBC, Belfius, Argenta, the Belgian government (myminfin.be), bpost, or the police. They claim your account is blocked, a package is held, or you owe taxes, and direct you to fake login pages to steal your banking credentials or trigger an itsme authentication you did not request. In 2025, 9.9 million suspicious messages were reported to safeonweb.be, preventing nearly 200 million clicks on malicious sites.

How to spot it
  • - Unexpected message about account issues, tax refunds, or an undelivered parcel
  • - URL in the link does not exactly match the real bank domain — check every character
  • - Request for your full card number, PIN, or itsme verification code
  • - Urgency: "Act within 24 hours or your account will be closed"
  • - You receive an itsme authentication request you did not personally initiate
What to do: Forward suspicious messages immediately to suspicious@safeonweb.be (Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium). Never click links in unsolicited messages — go directly to your bank's official app or type the URL. Your bank will never ask for your PIN or full card number. Contact your bank fraud line immediately if you approved a suspicious itsme request.

eID and itsme identity fraud

critical

Criminals impersonate Belgian government services (SPF Finances, commune registration, police) and ask you to authenticate via itsme or share your eID details to "verify your identity" or "update your commune registration." Your itsme approval can be used to access bank accounts, sign contracts, or open fraudulent accounts in your name. This is one of the most serious digital threats in Belgium.

How to spot it
  • - Unexpected SMS or email asking you to log in via itsme urgently
  • - Caller claims to be from SPF Finances, police, or your commune and asks for itsme verification
  • - Request for your eID card number, national register number, or card PIN via phone or email
  • - Unsolicited itsme notification appearing on your phone
What to do: Never approve an itsme request or share eID details in response to unsolicited contact. Legitimate Belgian authorities do not initiate itsme sessions by phone or email. If your eID may be compromised, contact your commune immediately. Report to CCB (safeonweb.be) and your bank.

Fake rental listings

critical

Fraudulent rental ads on Immoweb, Immovlan, Facebook Marketplace, and Kapaza clones offer below-market apartments. The "landlord" — typically claiming to be abroad — requests a deposit and first month's rent by bank transfer or crypto before any viewing. Once paid, they disappear. Belgium's high housing costs in Brussels and Antwerp make this scam particularly effective.

How to spot it
  • - Rent is significantly below market price for the area and property size
  • - Landlord claims to be abroad (missionary, diplomat, oil worker) and cannot show the property
  • - Pressure: "Another applicant is ready to sign today"
  • - Communication only via email or messaging apps — no working Belgian phone number
  • - Requests payment before any viewing, lease, or identity verification
  • - Offers to send keys by post without a visit
What to do: Never pay any deposit or rent before viewing the property in person and verifying the landlord's identity and ownership. Report fake listings to the platform and to SPF Economie at economie.fgov.be or call 0800 120 33.

Investment and cryptocurrency fraud (including pig butchering)

critical

Between July and December 2025 the FSMA recorded losses of over €23 million in reported fraud, with nearly half linked to cryptocurrency or fake trading platforms. "Pig butchering" scams groom victims via dating apps or WhatsApp investment groups over weeks before directing them to convincing but fraudulent crypto platforms. A new variant in 2025 involves WhatsApp groups offering supposedly exclusive investment advice, with average losses per victim in the tens of thousands of euros.

How to spot it
  • - Unsolicited investment advice via WhatsApp group, LinkedIn, or dating app
  • - Guaranteed or very high returns (5 % or more monthly) with little or no risk
  • - Platform not registered with FSMA (check fsma.be)
  • - Initial small withdrawals allowed — then new fees or taxes required to access larger sums
  • - Romantic component: a new online contact introduces the investment opportunity
What to do: Check any investment firm at fsma.be before transferring money. Never invest based on unsolicited contact. If you have lost money, report to FSMA (fsma.be/fr/questions-about-investment-fraud) and the Federal Police Cybercrime division at police.be.

Fake job offers and money-mule recruitment

critical

Fake job ads on LinkedIn, Indeed, and Facebook target expats and EU job-seekers with high-paying remote or local jobs. After expressions of interest, scammers request payment for background checks, equipment, or training, or ask applicants to receive and forward payments through their bank account (money muling). Money muling is a criminal offence in Belgium regardless of awareness.

How to spot it
  • - Unsolicited job offer with a very high salary for simple or unspecified work
  • - Any request for upfront payment for registration, equipment, or background checks
  • - Request to use your bank account to "forward company payments"
  • - No verifiable Belgian company registration number — check at kbopub.economie.fgov.be
  • - Interview conducted entirely via WhatsApp or Telegram
What to do: Verify any employer's registration at kbopub.economie.fgov.be (free, no account needed). Never pay to apply for a job. Never forward money through your own account for a third party. Report to police.be and, if advertised on official platforms, to VDAB (Flanders) or Forem (Wallonia).

Door-to-door energy and telecom contract fraud

warning

Salespeople pose as representatives of Engie, Luminus, Fluvius, Proximus, or Orange and pressure you to sign new energy or telecom contracts at the door, showing falsified savings comparisons. Some use aggressive tactics or misrepresent themselves as carrying out a mandatory "registration" or meter check.

How to spot it
  • - Unexpected doorstep visit claiming to be from your energy or telecom provider
  • - Pressure to sign immediately: "This offer is only valid today"
  • - Claims that your current tariff is being discontinued or increased immediately
  • - Requests to see your recent utility bills "to compare" before showing credentials
  • - Salesperson cannot show a verifiable company ID badge or refuses to leave their name
What to do: Under Belgian consumer law you have a 14-day cooling-off period for all contracts signed outside a shop (EU Consumer Rights Directive, implemented in Belgium via the Code of Economic Law) — you can cancel in writing within 14 days with no penalty. Never sign on the spot. Report aggressive practices to SPF Economie at economie.fgov.be or call 0800 120 33.

Romance scam

warning

Criminals build long-distance online relationships with expats in Belgium — particularly those newly arrived and less socially connected — over weeks or months before requesting money for medical emergencies, travel, or investment. This is often combined with crypto-investment fraud (see above).

How to spot it
  • - Online relationship that never meets in person after weeks of contact
  • - Person claims to be abroad (military, oil rig, UN mission) and cannot visit
  • - Declarations of strong affection very early in the relationship
  • - Eventually asks for money transfers, gift cards, or crypto investments
  • - Profile photos appear elsewhere online under a different name (use reverse image search)
What to do: Never send money to someone you have not met in person. Reverse-image-search profile photos. If you suspect a romance scam, contact the Federal Police Cybercrime division at police.be/cybercrime. Report financial components to FSMA.

Reporting

Where to report: Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium (CCB) — safeonweb.be | Suspicious messages: suspicious@safeonweb.be | Belgian Federal Police Cybercrime: police.be/cybercrime | SPF Economie (commercial fraud): economie.fgov.be | FSMA (investment and financial fraud): fsma.be

Consumer helpline: 0800 120 33 (SPF Economie / FOD Economie consumer helpline, Mon–Fri 09:00–17:00, free). Online: economie.fgov.be.