Fraud help in Belgium: take the first steps
A convincing bank call, fraudulent online advert or message from a supposedly familiar contact can quickly become a serious problem. This fraud help guide for Belgium brings together practical steps and official resources so you can decide whom to contact and what information to prepare.
Start with the most immediate risk. If money or bank access is involved, contact your bank promptly. Keep the original messages and documents, and write down what happened while it is fresh in your mind. You can ask for help before you have gathered every piece of evidence.
Use the right reporting service
Your bank and Card Stop handle urgent payment-card risks, while local police take criminal complaints. Safeonweb provides online-safety guidance and receives suspicious messages. Start with Safeonweb’s advice for scam victims, then follow the relevant sections below for banking, identity protection and consumer complaints. Keep copies of reports and reference numbers so you can follow up consistently.
Check suspicious letters and payment requests
A real company name, familiar logo or official-looking document is not enough to establish authenticity. Read our guide to company letterhead security and impersonation scams, and learn how secure business communication can help organisations make correspondence easier to verify.
Contact the claimed sender through details you find independently before taking further action. Be cautious of unsolicited recovery offers that demand an advance payment or promise guaranteed results. For incidents involving another jurisdiction, visit the country-by-country Fraud Help directory.
1. Stop Further Losses
For urgent police assistance in Belgium, call 101. For an ambulance or fire emergency, call 112.
Stop communicating with the suspected scammer and do not send more money. Contact your bank immediately if money, card details or account access are involved. Save messages, payment records and suspicious documents. If someone has remote access to your device, disconnect it from the internet and contact your bank from another trusted device.
2. Contact Your Bank or Payment Provider
Contact your bank’s fraud department immediately. If a payment card is affected, contact Card Stop on 078 170 170, or +32 78 170 170 from abroad. Blocking a card does not itself recall a transfer or secure every banking service; tell your bank exactly what happened.
Use your bank’s official app or a trusted telephone number. Explain whether a payment was unauthorised or you were deceived into approving it. Ask about securing cards and online banking, tracing transactions and any available recall or dispute process. Keep a written record of your notification and the bank’s response. Do not send money to a caller’s supposed “safe account”. Recovery depends on the circumstances and is not guaranteed.
3. Report the Fraud to Police
Contact your local police service to file a complaint if you have lost money, suffered extortion or been affected by another suspected crime. Use the police website to find your local service and its reporting arrangements.
Prepare a short timeline, payment records, recipient account details, original messages, website addresses and copies of suspicious documents. Explain how the contact began and what money or information you shared. Keep the complaint reference and any instructions for providing additional evidence.
Bring bank statements showing the fraudulent transactions. Do not assume that forwarding a phishing email to Safeonweb or reporting a consumer infringement also files a police complaint.
4. Report Cybercrime and Online Fraud
Safeonweb explains how to respond to online scams and when to contact police. Forward suspicious messages to [email protected]. If an incident caused financial loss or involves extortion, file a separate police complaint.
Keep original evidence needed for the complaint, including messages and transaction records. Secure compromised accounts and notify the relevant platform. Safeonweb reporting helps address suspicious content; it is not a substitute for your bank’s fraud process or a formal criminal complaint.
5. Protect Your Identity
If a Belgian identity or travel document is lost or stolen, contact DOC STOP on 00800 2123 2123. Check its official page for country-specific access alternatives: https://www.ibz.rrn.fgov.be/fr/citoyen/documents-didentite/doc-stop
Also notify police and follow the issuing authority’s replacement instructions.
Notify every bank, lender, telecom provider or online platform where your identity was misused. Dispute unfamiliar accounts or debts in writing and keep the replies. Change compromised passwords from a trusted device, secure your email first and enable two-factor authentication. If an identity document is lost or stolen, contact its issuing authority about reporting, blocking or replacement.
6. Protect Your Credit
The National Bank of Belgium allows you to consult your own Individual Credit Register data free of charge. Use its official consumer information page: https://www.nbb.be/en/central-credit-registers/icr/consultation/information-consumers
Review loans or credit you do not recognise and contact the relevant lender to investigate and correct inaccurate information. Preserve your police reference and written dispute. Checking the register does not freeze credit or cover every possible misuse of your identity.
7. Consumer-Protection Resources
Use FPS Economy’s ConsumerConnect to find consumer-rights information and report suspected infringements: https://consumerconnect.be/en
A ConsumerConnect report is separate from a police complaint. Report suspected criminal fraud to local police as well. For an individual purchase dispute, keep the order confirmation and written complaint to the seller, and ask your payment provider or the relevant dispute-resolution service about available next steps.
8. Employment and Immigration Fraud
Verify the employer through independently sourced contact details. Keep the job advertisement, offer letter, recruiter messages and payment requests. Report fraudulent adverts to the hosting platform. If you paid money or shared identity documents, contact your bank and police and follow the identity-protection steps above. For immigration claims, confirm the procedure and official fees with the responsible authority or consulate; a professional-looking letter does not prove that it is genuine.
Official Contacts and Telephone Numbers
Urgent police assistance in Belgium: 101.
Ambulance or fire emergency: 112.
Card Stop: 078 170 170; from abroad: +32 78 170 170.
Suspicious messages: [email protected]
DOC STOP for lost or stolen Belgian identity/travel documents: 00800 2123 2123.
Local police information: https://www.police.be/
ConsumerConnect: https://consumerconnect.be/en
Report the Fraud
Local police for criminal complaints; Safeonweb for suspicious messages; ConsumerConnect for consumer infringements
Official Sources
Received a suspicious business document?
Check whether a document issued through VerifiableLetter is authentic.
Important: This guide provides general information, not legal, financial or emergency advice. Procedures and contact details can change. Confirm requirements with the relevant authority. Reporting does not guarantee investigation, reimbursement or recovery.