Khaberni - A complex fraud case has shaken Belgium, after investigators revealed the activities of a gang that specialized in impersonating members of the Belgian royal family, exploiting technological advances to carry out deceptive operations aimed at prominent foreign figures and businessmen.
According to the federal prosecution, the gang members used various means including emails, phone calls, and artificially generated video clips using artificial intelligence techniques, in an attempt to lend credibility to carefully constructed fraud scenarios.
As per investigations, the gang's activity began in early 2025, when fraudsters resorted to using communication apps like “WhatsApp” and direct phone calls, impersonating King Philippe or senior officials at the royal court, with the goal of luring victims and inducing them to transfer money under various pretexts.
Prosecutors explained that the choice of victims was not random, but was based on their potential or previous relationships with the royal family, making the fraud attempts more convincing. Although the majority of the targeted individuals managed to detect the deception early, the gang succeeded in obtaining financial transfers in one instance.
The fraudsters also attempted to expand their circle of victims to include Belgian families close to the royal palace, sending them invitations for video interviews with businessmen, likely using images completely generated by artificial intelligence.
The methods did not stop there; some victims received invitations to attend fictitious dinner parties, during which they were asked to pay supposed sponsorship fees.
The federal prosecution confirmed that investigations are still ongoing in cooperation with specialized units of the federal police, in an attempt to track down the gang members and reveal the full circumstances of this case that highlighted the increasing risks of digital fraud.
