Phishing in Belgium

First assess what is being requested, which channel was used and what has already happened. Do not use the received link or imposed phone number as the verification channel.

Information updated : 2026-09-10

Editorial Trust

Last update
2026-09-10
Sources checked
2026-09-17
Content status
information published with visible sources and clear limits
Official sources cited
6
Editorial responsibility
StopArnaques

StopArnaques is an independent Belgian service. It is not a public authority and does not speak on behalf of the organisations cited.

Report a correction

Why this page exists

  • Phishing is not just a fake email: it can come by SMS, WhatsApp, phone call, QR code or advertisement.

Common situations

  • phishing Belgium
  • SMS phishing
  • fraudulent link
  • suspicious bank email

What the fraudster is trying to get

  • In cases linked to the phishing link, the goal is usually to make you act before you have time to check: click, pay, share a code or give access to an account.
  • Urgency, fear of losing something and imitating a known organisation are used to reduce your vigilance. None of these elements proves that the request is genuine.

Check through an independent channel

  • Do not start from the message you received. Open the official website or app yourself, or use a phone number already shown on a reliable document.
  • Compare the sender, the exact domain, the beneficiary and the action requested. One consistent detail is not enough if the rest of the process is outside the official channel.

What to do now

  • Do not click under pressure.
  • Go through the official channel.
  • Report suspicious messages to Safeonweb.

If you already interacted

  • Stop the exchange. Change the login details you entered through the official app or website and enable two-factor authentication when it is available.
  • Contact your bank quickly if a payment, card, IBAN, code or confirmation is involved. Keep useful evidence for a report.

Scope of this hub

  • This hub links phishing email, smishing, QR phishing, fake websites and calls that prepare a login.
  • The guides by channel allow a check adapted to the medium you received.

Triage and urgency level

  • Assess the claimed identity, the channel, the domain and the action, without reducing phishing to spelling.
  • A confirmation or a secret that was shared must be handled with the service that is actually concerned.

Limit of this classification

  • This hub does not certify the identity or reliability of a contact. For this family, the first check remains the following: Assess the claimed identity, the channel, the domain and the action, without reducing phishing to spelling.
  • A situation may fall into several families. Go to the dossier whose risky action matches the real case: The guides by channel allow a check adapted to the medium you received.

Limits of this page

  • This page does not prove that a message is safe and does not replace your bank, the police, Safeonweb, a platform or a public service.
  • A scam may be new, very well written or described with too little context. Use the result as decision support, not as absolute certainty.
  • Before taking a final action, checking through the official channel matters more than the appearance of the received message.

Check through an official channel

  • Type the service address yourself or open the official app. Do not use a phone number, link or QR code from the suspicious message to verify the situation.
  • When money, card details, a code or account access are involved, the safety action comes first. The analysis can then help organise the evidence.

How to read the result

  • A low number of signals does not mean that everything is safe. It only means that this page or analysis did not find decisive evidence with the information available.
  • Focus on the requested action: paying, sharing a code, installing an app, approving a bank action or leaving an official platform. That action matters more than a logo, sender name or polished wording.
  • If the situation feels urgent, step away from the received message first. Then check calmly through a channel you already trusted before the message arrived.

Belgian reading of this situation

  • For the phishing link, focus on the relevant Belgian next step: open the official channel yourself, contact the bank, use Safeonweb or preserve evidence.
  • The right decision for the phishing link depends on what has already happened. Reading a message is not the same as clicking, paying, sharing a code or granting remote access.

What to do now without panic

  • If the phishing link worries you, choose the next step from the requested action: clicking, paying, sharing a code, installing an app, sending a document or approving account access. Do not rely only on the logo or sender name.
  • When the phishing link involves an urgent, financial or hard-to-undo action, StopArnaques treats the situation as something that must be checked first. Polished wording, a familiar brand or a realistic amount does not make the request reliable by itself.
  • If you already acted in a case involving the phishing link, the order matters more than the label: contact the bank, platform or official service first, preserve evidence next, then compare the situation with similar campaigns.

What can be legitimate

  • For the phishing link, some notifications can be real: a delivery, invoice, administrative document, payment request, security alert or platform message. This is why this page does not claim that every similar message is automatically a scam.
  • The difference in a the phishing link case is verification. A real request should be visible through the app, portal, customer area or phone number that you open yourself, not only through a link, QR code or number included in the suspicious message.
  • If the official environment does not show the same request about the phishing link, amount, reference or beneficiary, it is safer to stop and report or verify the case before continuing.

Limits and responsibility

  • For the phishing link, StopArnaques helps explain signals and choose safer actions, but it does not replace your bank, the police, Safeonweb, the FPS Economy, a platform or the organisation concerned.
  • A result about the phishing link may remain uncertain when the text is too short, when context is missing or when the fraud uses a new variant. In that situation, slow down, verify independently and avoid any irreversible action.
  • If the phishing link involves a payment, code, card, identity document, itsme approval, banking app or remote access, the protective action comes first. Do not wait for a perfect label if harm may already be possible.

Keep evidence and report

  • For the phishing link, keep the message, date, channel, visible sender, neutralised link and useful screenshots. Do not publish personal data or clickable suspicious links on social media.
  • Report the phishing link to the relevant channel when appropriate, for example Safeonweb for suspicious messages, the platform for account abuse and your bank when money or payment details are involved.
  • This evidence about the phishing link can also help link a campaign to a case later without storing raw personal data. That matters if the system is to improve without exposing users unnecessarily.

Frequently asked questions

How can I recognise the phishing link?

Phishing is not just a fake email: it can come by SMS, WhatsApp, phone call, QR code or advertisement. Focus mainly on the action requested, the channel used and any pressure to act quickly.

Can I check the message without opening its link?

Yes. Copy only the text, the number or the visible address into the checker. Do not open the link and do not scan the QR code to carry out the check.

What if the message seems to come from a real brand?

Go back to the service on your own. The displayed name, the logo and even the visible number can be copied. Only a check in the official channel can confirm the request.

Useful official sources

Test an SMS, email, call or link