Belgian authorities have arrested a 19-year-old suspected of running a European phishing and money-laundering network. The gang allegedly stole over €500,000 ($572,000) using fake government emails and phone calls to trick victims into installing remote-access software.
The suspect was picked up at an Airbnb in Antwerp, where a second person was also found. The investigation started in March 2026 when phishing attacks became a priority in the region. An investigating judge issued an arrest warrant for the main suspect.
The group used money mules and cash carriers, then laundered the proceeds through cryptocurrencies. It’s a familiar pattern — crypto plays multiple roles in these operations, including as a laundering vehicle.
Phishing remains the top threat to crypto investors. Hacken’s Q1 2026 report shows phishing and social engineering accounted for $306 million of the $482 million lost in the quarter — nearly two-thirds of all losses. These attacks exploit human behavior rather than protocol code, which makes them especially hard to defend against.
Scammers are also getting creative with Google ads. In May, fake Uniswap ads on Google stole over $400,000 from victims. CertiK’s Skynet report highlighted phishing as a leading attack vector for North Korea-linked actors too — including the $600 million Ronin Bridge exploit, which started with a spearphishing campaign via LinkedIn.
