Belgium Targets Organized Crime Networks Behind Phishing Surge

Belgian police and judicial authorities have announced a fundamental shift in their fight against phishing, moving from pursuing individual perpetrators to dismantling the sophisticated organized criminal networks that orchestrate large-scale cyber fraud. The new strategy, unveiled jointly by Minister of Justice Annelies Verlinden (CD&V) and Minister of the Interior Bernard Quintin (MR), introduces a legal circular designed to map phishing networks more quickly, expose connections between cases, and target organized gangs more effectively, as reported by Het Laatste Nieuws.

The Escalating Crisis

The policy change comes as Belgium faces an unprecedented wave of phishing attacks. The Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium (CCB) recorded a dramatic surge in reports, rising from an average of 27,000 per day in 2025 to 42,000 per day in February 2026 — a jump of more than 50 percent. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, Belgians submitted over 3.6 million phishing reports via the Verdacht@safeonweb.be hotline, according to Knack.

The financial toll is staggering. According to Febelfin, the Belgian banking federation, phishers stole approximately €49 million from victims in 2024 alone. The true figure is likely higher, as many cases go unreported and newer forms of fraud — such as vishing (voice phishing), smishing (SMS phishing), and quishing (QR code phishing) — are not fully captured in official statistics.

A New Strategic Approach

Speaking at the announcement, Minister Verlinden delivered a clear warning to cybercriminals: “Those who think they can feel untouchable behind a screen and across national borders should know that police and justice are increasingly getting those networks in their sights.” She emphasized that the new approach allows authorities to “deploy their capacity even more targeted against the organizers behind phishing campaigns.”

The circular enables faster identification of links between different cases, more efficient deployment of police and judicial resources, accelerated information exchange, and coordinated tracking of money flows across borders. This mirrors strategies previously used against drug trafficking and organized crime.

Minister Quintin stressed the importance of prevention alongside enforcement. “The faster we detect fraudulent messages, warn citizens, and prevent victims, the smaller the room for maneuver for cybercriminals becomes,” he said. “That is why cooperation between the Centre for Cybercrime, police, and justice is crucial.”

The Professionalization of Phishing

Phishing operations have become increasingly sophisticated. Criminal gangs now operate as professional enterprises, using international networks and specialized intermediaries to defraud victims on a large scale and launder money across borders. The CCB has confirmed that criminals are now using artificial intelligence to create more convincing fraudulent websites and messages, as De Morgen reported.

“Phishing criminals have also discovered artificial intelligence,” said Katrien Eggers, spokesperson for the CCB, noting that AI enables fraudsters to produce more convincing phishing pages at scale.

Landmark Convictions

The urgency of the new approach is underscored by recent cases. In February 2026, two brothers were sentenced to 10 years in prison by the Mechelen court for organized phishing that stole at least €171,000. The court described it as “one of the worst cyber fraud cases ever handled,” as VRT NWS reported. The brothers used SMS messages impersonating itsme and banks, recruited family members including their parents and younger brother, and targeted elderly victims. One brother cut off his electronic monitoring bracelet and fled to Morocco.

Cybercrime specialist prosecutor Catherine Van de Heyning described the brothers as “ruthless,” adding: “They plundered the pensions of elderly people in their final years.”

Analysis and Implications

The shift from targeting individual phishing acts to dismantling the criminal “superstructure” represents a paradigm change in Belgian cybercrime strategy. By focusing on the organizers, money launderers, and infrastructure providers, authorities hope to disrupt the ecosystem that enables large-scale phishing.

However, significant challenges remain. Phishing networks operate across borders, requiring close international cooperation. The case of the brothers fleeing to Morocco illustrates the difficulty of pursuing suspects who escape Belgian jurisdiction. Additionally, the rapid adoption of AI by cybercriminals suggests an escalating technological arms race between fraudsters and law enforcement.

What to Watch For

In the coming months, attention will focus on how the new circular changes operational procedures for police and prosecutors. Minister of Consumer Protection Rob Beenders (Vooruit) has demanded that banks present an anti-phishing action plan by summer 2026, and a landmark ruling suggests banks may face new obligations to immediately refund phishing victims. The effectiveness of the new strategy will ultimately depend on whether authorities can successfully dismantle the networks that have made Belgium one of Europe’s most targeted countries for phishing fraud.