Belgian police arrest suspected phishing gang leader tied to $572K theft
Belgian police arrested a 19-year-old suspected key member of a European phishing and money-laundering network that stole over €500,000 by using fake government emails and phone calls to trick victims into installing remote-access software. The suspect was detained in an Airbnb in Antwerp, where a second suspect was also found. Investigators said the group used money mules, cash carriers, and cryptocurrency to launder proceeds. The case highlights how crypto is used both in phishing scams and in laundering stolen funds. Phishing remains one of the biggest threats in crypto, responsible for most of the $482 million lost in Q1 2026, with social engineering and phishing alone accounting for $306 million. Recent reports also noted malicious Google ads and search-result phishing campaigns impersonating crypto services.
