Antwerp local police have detained eight suspects on Thursday in connection with a phishing case, three of whom are adults and two minors.
The fraudsters lured their victims into malicious advertisements through an online sales platform, allowing the group to steal banking details and make fraudulent purchases,” the police said on Saturday.
Two adults were questioned by the investigating judge and released on bail. Two minors were placed in a closed institution by the juvenile judge. The other individuals were temporarily free to go.
The investigation began last summer after the police received reports of cyber fraud. Each victim had responded to an online advertisement on Facebook’s Marketplace.
The alleged sellers asked for a €5 deposit for a purchase. To make the payment, victims were redirected to a website that stole all their banking details. With this information, the group subsequently placed online orders at a retail chain.
