The Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium (CCB) are warning of unknown persons abusing the identity of His Majesty the King, his chief of cabinet, Mr. Vincent Houssiau, and Major General Stéphane Dutron, head of The General Intelligence and Security Service (ADIV).
Since early 2025, foreign dignitaries, Belgian families and business leaders have been contacted by telephone, WhatsApp or email with the aim of fraudulently obtaining money from them. They use techniques that can make it appear as if the contact is actually coming from the Royal Palace or the King Baudouin Foundation.
The victims are deliberately selected on the basis of their possible connections to the Royal Family, so that the calls appear credible. The suspects initially requested financial support for the so-called liberation of Belgian journalists who were allegedly being held hostage in Syria. Fortunately, most victims quickly realised they were being deceived. In one case, a sum of money was effectively transferred.
At the beginning of January 2026, a new wave of fraud attempts was detected, after several weeks without any new reports. This time, mainly Belgian business leaders are approached.
A striking new element is that the victims are invited to a video call in an attempt to convince them that it is indeed the King. The images in this video call may have been generated by artificial intelligence. In addition, some business leaders receive fake invitations to a fictitious gala dinner organised by the King Baudouin Foundation, supposedly planned for February and April 2026. They are asked to contribute or sponsor an event that does not actually exist.
The Federal Prosecutor’s Office is conducting a preliminary investigation with the Federal Computer Crime Unit (FCCU) and other specialised services of the federal police. In the interest of the investigation, no further information can be provided for the time being.
More information
For more information on online scams and fraud, visit Safeonweb.be.