Belgian Prosecutors Target Mastermind of $2 Million ’Smishing’ Fraud Scheme

"Smishing" is a form of fraud that has been on the rise in Belgium in recent times with its share of victims, who made the mistake of clicking on a link sent to them by SMS, alerting them to a fake fraud or error, under the name of a well-known brand.

According to the federal prosecutor’s office, the three defendants managed to steal more than two million euros from more than 160 victims in the Liège region. The mastermind of the gang is a Moroccan considered a computer genius. According to the prosecutor’s office, thanks to his skills, he has allowed this criminal network to be run from Morocco. "During a search carried out in Morocco, a suspect was informed of the police visit a week in advance. His wife had prepared the couscous for all the investigators," the federal prosecutor pointed out.

It is a well-organized gang with assigned tasks for each member. According to the public prosecutor’s office, one of the three defendants, who is a very influential member, has the task of recruiting and finding SIM cards, i.e. the victims to be plucked. He would have more than 250,000 euros on one of his bank accounts in Spain. An amount that would come from this criminal activity.