Police zone VLAS rolls up gang of internet criminals

Phishing is a form of internet fraud. The criminals defraud people by luring them to a fake website, to have them – unsuspectingly – log in with their login and password or their credit card number.

More than 20 suspects have been identified. Seven of them have been placed under pre-trial detention. Dozens of victims all over the country may have been scammed by this gang, including people from the VLAS zone. More than 10,000 euros worth of luxury goods, including clothing, have been seized. It is possible that those luxury items were purchased with the proceeds of the phishing activities.

Quick declaration is very important

“A quick report is a win-win for the victim and the police. The victim has his or her money back very quickly. For example, EUR 1,800 was recently stolen after phishing a girl from Lendelede. She immediately filed a complaint with the local police station in Lendelede. The next day she had her money back.

Prevention tips against internet crime

• take the necessary time and read the message carefully
• never act (too) fast
• do not click on the provided link
• verify via another method whether the message is correct, possibly with authentication
• never pass on codes, personal data or bank details to third parties, nor a scan of your identity card
• do not/do not immediately carry out payment transactions

You can find more tips here