Banks are urging the public to be vigilant after a rise in scams involving criminals posing as trusted institutions, including banks and police officers.
The warning came on Tuesday from Febelfin, the umbrella organisation for Belgium's financial sector.
The scammers typically contact victims by phone or show up at their door, claiming urgent action is needed to protect their money.
Some even collect bank cards (along with PIN codes), smartphones or computers directly from the victim's home.
Victims often receive an unexpected call from someone pretending to be from a bank, Card Stop, the police, a telecom provider or another familiar institution.
The caller usually offers a convincing narrative, such as having detected suspicious transactions that supposedly require immediate intervention.
In many cases, the scammers ask for card details, login credentials or confirmation of a transaction via the Itsme authentication app.
They may also ask the victim to download software or carry out a bank transfer themselves.
Febelfin is reminding consumers of key safety rules: never share PINs or access codes, always read Itsme messages carefully before approving anything, never download software at someone's request over the phone and never give out personal or banking information after an unsolicited call.
Anyone who suspects fraud should end the conversation immediately. Those who realise they have been scammed should contact their bank without delay and file a police report.
