“Deposit 1,000 euros one more time and then you get your money.” 36-year-old Didier from Laakdal did this no fewer than four times, clinging to the promise of a loan of 20,000 euros to get out of debt. But the promised amount never arrived. When he realized he had been scammed, the pressure became unbearable for him and he took his own life. His wife Leen* (39) and their 8-year-old son are left devastated. She testifies for the first time: “He felt humiliated and did not want to drag us into the depths.”

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