Belgian woman sues Belfius in criminal court over unrefunded phishing fraud
A Belgian woman has filed a criminal complaint against Belfius, accusing the bank of failing to meet its legal obligations following a phishing fraud.
First in Belgium: customer launches criminal case against Belfius over phishing
A Belgian woman has decided to pursue bank Belfius through the criminal justice system after falling victim to phishing and being denied reimbursement of the stolen funds, according to Google News BE FR. This marks a first in Belgium: never before has a banking institution been targeted by criminal proceedings in this type of case.
"Banks are absolutely not respecting their obligations," said Julie Frère, spokesperson for consumer protection organisation Test-Achats, quoted by RTL Info. According to her, financial institutions are failing in a duty little known to the general public: that of compensating customers who are victims of online fraud in certain circumstances provided for by law.
The complainant argues that Belfius failed to meet this obligation by refusing to return the funds stolen by fraudsters. The case, also being followed by dhnet.be and L'Echo, could set a precedent for many Belgian victims who find themselves in the same situation with no apparent recourse.
The question of reimbursing phishing victims has divided banks and consumer associations for several years. Media outlets such as Trends-Tendances emphasise that banking institutions say they are themselves "at the end of their resources" in the face of the surge in these frauds. The outcome of this criminal proceeding will be closely watched by the financial sector and consumer rights advocates.
Source: Google News BE FR