Phishing scams on the rise in Luxembourg

Experts say awareness is key to preventing people from falling victim to fraudulent emails, such as those purporting to be from the police or from Guichet.lu.  In Luxembourg, BeeSecure is responsible for raising public awareness of the dangers of these scams.  The government initiative's role is growing day by day, as the number of targeted attacks is on the rise. BeeSecure's Jacques Federspiel says Luxembourg appears to be a target for scammers now that the Luxembourgish language is less of an issue for would-be hackers, and the country's reputation as a rich and well-connected nation is particularly attractive to those running the scams.

The online scams prevalent nowadays are increasingly professional at first glance, deceiving many victims into sharing their personal data or handing over sums of money.

Simple actions such as checking contact details such as email addresses, websites and phone numbers can be useful when receiving a message from an entity or unknown person. BeeSecure advises recipients to visit the respective app directly, or load the website in a fresh browser tab, instead of clicking on any email links. If in any doubt, it is advised to contact the relevant institution via official phone numbers rather than taking any contact information from the suspected scam email.

As a general rule, authorities never ask citizens to pay via email. BeeSecure advises to block the message and not respond to any requests, whether by email, SMS or phone call, as these attacks can take several forms. In the event that you should fall victim to such a scam, it is best to notify the police, or seek support from the Luxembourg House of Cybersecurity, where you can also report illicit content or attempted scams.

For more advice, visit the BeeSecure website.