A new scam is circulating in Belgium which has seen several people in Brussels and Wallonia receive official-looking letters meant to appear as though they were sent by the Finance Ministry. The phishing attempt asks recipients to pay a sum of money or risk paying fines.
Belgium's Finance Ministry has warned citizens of a new phishing attempt that is currently circulating in the country. Scammers are sending out letters that are seemingly sent by the ministry, but the government department has confirmed these are fake. Citizens are asked to pay particular attention as the letter looks official, including the logo of the government department and using a similar font and colour.
"We are putting out notifications on our website and social media to warn people that the letter is not being sent by us," the ministry's spokesperson Francis Adyns told The Brussels Times. He added that the Finance Ministry does not have data on how many people have been affected by the scam, but so far, the letters have only been sent out in French.
Increasingly commonplace
The letter states that it regards the "annual federal tax on hygiene and public health services", adding an amount that has to be paid (so far, the sum is €87). It also warns recipients not to wait until the due date to make the payment as they could then face prosecution costs.
Aside from the suspicious warning that is added, the account number also raises questions. "People who received such a letter should check the composition of the account number, as ours is always composed in the same way."
When a person is contacted by the ministry itself, they will be asked to make the payment via MyMinfin or deposit the amount into the official account with the structure BEXX 6792 XXXX XXXX. In the scam letter, an account number with a different structure was used.
Adyns noted that the ministry is increasingly becoming a regular target of such scams which see the ministry's name being used in attempts to commit online or telephone fraud. "Every month, sometimes even weekly, we are dealing with this type of scam in which our name is used. And in a way we are also victims, but of identity theft, as our name and reputation are being abused," Adyns said.
What should victims do?
The ministry's website details a list of steps that a potential victim can use to check the authenticity of official documents. For example, if a digital version of the letter received is not available on the online tax and patrimonial file accessible via the MyMinfin e-desk, it is a scam. Spelling mistakes in the letter also point to it being a scam.
"If you are asked to settle a debt, but you have no idea what it is about, it is likely also a scam," the ministry wrote.
People who have fallen victim to the fraud and paid the sum are advised to go to the local police station and file a complaint, send a copy or picture of the letter to verdacht@safeonweb.be and report the incident to the Finance Ministry's staff via a contact form.
