VRT NWS Broadcast and Podcast: Ad Scam highly successful in Belgium

Following the investigation previously presented on Radar, ethical hacker Wouter van Dongen was invited by VRT NWS to provide insights into the Belgian perspective of this fraud.

In Belgium, the revenue from these scams has reached approximately $5.4 million in less than a year. "When we look at the total number of forms submitted worldwide, Belgium ranks 12th," says Van Dongen.

"However, if we look at who actually falls for the scam and transfers money, Belgium suddenly jumps to 3rd place. This scam is highly effective in Belgium." Notably, fake images of Karen Damen and Fatma Taspinar generate significant profits for the criminals. "At least every minute, someone in the world falls for one of these fake ads."