When it comes to recovering the money stolen during an online scam, the solution often appears to be complex and requires a case-by-case analysis. The Belfius bank, contacted as part of the story of Myriam Lequet-Hoyoux, explains the criteria generally put forward to define whether a refund will take place or not.
In the event of a technical or mechanical problem that would undermine the security of the bank, Belfius would obviously be inclined to make a refund. But if it is negligence on the part of the customer, it seems unlikely to recover the stolen money. Julie Frère, spokesperson for Test Achat, is also going in this direction. “When a customer uses his card reader and entrusts codes or sensitive information to a scammer, the bank considers that it cannot be held responsible for the sums debited. However, it has already been estimated that if the consumer had taken the necessary measures and, through the ingenuity of the fraudsters, was still caught, there could be another way out, explains Julie Frère. I am thinking in particular of two cases involving the KBC bank. The latter has already been ordered to reimburse consumers. »
To avoid this kind of delicate situation, it is better to prevent than to cure. Isabelle Marchand, spokesperson for Febelfin, reminds us: “No matter how official the request may seem, a bank will never ask for sensitive information and codes by phone, text or email. »