2023-06-05 10:25:32
The Economic Inspectorate of the FPS Economy recorded nearly 52,000 reports of misleading commercial practices and fraud in 2022, an increase of 8.25% in one year, the federal institute said on Monday. About a quarter of these reports (23%) are related to phishing. Reports of unsolicited phone calls and fraudulent sales complete the podium.
Phishing reports jumped 7% last year, totaling 11,923 cases, or 23% of all reports. Unwanted phone calls, especially those that do not respect the list “Don’t Call Me Anymore”, generated some 10,231 reports (20% of the total). Sales-related fraud, such as fake online stores and sales on classified ad sites, came in last, with 7,886 reports, or 15% of the number of reports in 2022.
“Scammers are clearly surfing the news to craft their modus operandi. So for example, in 2022, there were numerous reports of fake online shops that offered firewood and wood pellets. the sharp rise in energy prices, which pushed consumers to turn to other sources of energy”analyzes Etienne Mignolet, spokesperson for the FPS Economy.
The utility also finds reports of a large number of fake online stores selling toys.
The energy crisis as well as the legal obligation for companies to offer an electronic means of payment also influenced the number of reports.
Last year, the FPS Economy thus collected 1,547 reports against companies which did not offer the possibility of electronic payment or which refused cash payments. In addition, the energy crisis has given rise to numerous reports concerning energy suppliers.
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