Mechelen: (Brussels Morning) Two Dutch men, NB and MJ part of a gang that targeted elderly women in Belgium were caught and sentenced for stealing over €73,000 through a bank card scam.
The two guys were in a big group. This group targeted older ladies calling them first. They pretended to be from a bank or Cardstop and said the ladies were scammed of 650 euros. They claimed the money went to a foreign account and to stop more loss they needed the ladies’ bank cards. They said a bank person would pick it up. They asked the ladies to put the card and reader in an envelope. To prove they were real, they asked for the card’s secret code on the phone. They made it seem only someone with the right PIN could take the card. The person who came later to get the card knew the code because they were part of the plan. In fall 2023 the gang did this 19 times in Antwerp, Ghent, and Mechelen, taking over 73,000 euros from different accounts.
What were the sentences for NB and MJ the Dutch scammers who targeted elderly women in Belgium?
The police caught two Dutch guys NB and MJ earlier this year. They got caught because they were seen on camera. The police found the rental car they were using which proved they were involved. Even though these two were caught the rest of their group got away. The case details like how they were recognized and the car’s capture were key in getting NB and MJ arrested. Marc Hendrick talked about the case and called the two guys NB and MJ “good-for-nothings,” saying that was putting it nicely. He said they robbed people in a really cowardly way. One of his clients lost a big 14,000 euros because of them. Hendrick’s words tells how serious the crimes were and how much they hurt the victims.
NB said he was part of some incidents but not all. His lawyer, Boris Reynaerts, called him the gang’s driver and the one at the most risk of getting caught first. NB didn’t realize what was happening at first. MJ admitted to being involved in all the incidents. His lawyer mentioned he was pressured by others and had a mild intellectual disability. MJ’s role was to collect bank cards from the victims.
MJ admitted to being involved in all the crimes. He was pressured by others and had a mild intellectual disability. The court sentenced NB to five years in prison with half being served and a 16,000 euro fine. MJ got four years in prison with only his pre-trial detention counting and an 8,000 euro fine. They also have to pay back money to the victims.
