The federal government is presenting a national plan with 29 measures against online fraud. Itsme will get facial verification, and banks will warn each other about suspicious accounts.
Consumer Affairs Minister Rob Beenders (Vooruit) and Interior Minister Bernard Quintin (MR) are working with banks, telecom operators, online platforms, police and prosecutors on the National Anti-Online Fraud Plan. The plan is meant to strengthen cooperation between those parties.
The figure driving the measures: in 2025, more than 11,000 cases of phishing were reported, 30 percent more than a year earlier. Fraudsters made off with some 93 million euros. In July, the banks already presented a plan that included a lower default limit for transfers.
Itsme verifies faces
Itsme will get an extra security layer. For certain activities, the app compares the user’s face with the photo on their Belgian identity card. “This makes it harder for fraudsters to take over an itsme account and confirm payments or logins in someone else’s name,” says Beenders.
An alternative is coming for people who are less familiar with online banking. By appointment, they can bank at the counter of the bank with assistance, for a maximum of 5 euros per month.
How to better protect against illegal SIM swaps is still being investigated. In a SIM swap, a fraudster links a victim’s phone number to a different SIM card and thus also receives the codes used to confirm payments.
Phish Nemo goes nationwide
The Phish Nemo project, launched by the federal judicial police and the Limburg public prosecutor’s office in 2022, is being extended to the whole of Belgium. The software detects fraudulent websites and places a warning page in front of them. According to Beenders, the system has already prevented more than 100,000 potential victims since its launch.
Citizens can report suspicious websites, phone numbers, messages and accounts via a new form on Safeonweb. The Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium (CCB) collects and checks those reports and notifies the services concerned. The CCB also passes fake ads and fraudulent profiles on to the platforms, so they can take them offline faster. Telecom operators must block fraudulent numbers more quickly.
Banks share data via TILDA
With TILDA, banks get a secure platform to share information about suspicious accounts and fraudsters. “When an account is closed because of fraud today, the fraudster can easily open an account elsewhere,” says Beenders. Other banks can then carry out extra checks on suspicious transfers or when an account is opened. On the privacy of customers, the minister says: “We will make sure this is legally in order.”
For victims, training will be provided for police officers and bank employees, among others, so that they treat fraud victims with more “understanding”. A national anti-phishing unit brings together information from different investigations to uncover links with criminal networks faster. Europol supports the international cooperation.
Evaluation every quarter
The ministers and partners involved will review the progress of the implementation every quarter. Beenders calls Belgium the first country in the European Union with such a comprehensive plan against online fraud, reports VRT NWS. There is no date yet for the introduction of facial verification at itsme and the counter service at the banks.