Belgian financial sector launches campaign to help consumers avoid online fraud

The financial sector’s federation, Fibelfin, is initiating a campaign to respond to the sense of insecurity and the rise in phishing emails during the COVID-19 outbreak. 

About 20% of phishing e-mails are currently linked to the coronavirus crisis, according to Febelfin’s statistics.https://t.co/9DyFMCYRlZ

— The Brussels Times (@BrusselsTimes) May 4, 2020

Febelfin wants to discourage consumers from their personal banking codes via a link. It stated: “A bank or any other reliable company will never ask for this kind of information.”

According to statistics, about one-fifth of the phishing emails are linked to the COVID-19 crisis. Over 18 million fake emails are detected worldwide regarding the epidemic every day, according to Google.

As per the research bureau Indiville, one in three Belgians received a phishing message in the previous month and one in four people regret the sharing of information online. Fibelfin stated, ”The feeling of insecurity online is increasing.”

It added that companies are targeted as well. Employees in departments such as management, finance and sales are the ones that are the most likely to click on phishing emails.

Francophone celebrities such as Julie Taton and Christophe Deborsu are participating in the promotion of the campaign, as are Leah Thys and Thomas Vanderveken in the Dutch-speaking version of the campaign.