Knokke-Heist (The Brussels Morning Newspaper): Residents of Knokke-Heist are receiving scam emails mimicking AGO, urging payments to a fake entity, AGSO. Authorities warn to verify requests through official channels and avoid responding.
In Knokke-Heist, people received fake emails that looked like they came from AGO, the local Urban Development Company. These emails pretend to be from AGO workers and use real-looking email addresses and logos to trick residents and businesses into believing they are official. The main aim of these scam emails is to trick people into sending money to AGSO, which is falsely shown as part of the official money matters of the municipal company. The emails usually have detailed payment instructions and may mention specific projects or invoices to seem real. These fake messages try to get people to send money to accounts not connected to the local government.
What actions are local authorities taking against email scams in Knokke-Heist?
Authorities in Knokke-Heist have warned people to be careful and not to reply to these scam emails or send any money. Residents should check if any payment requests are real by contacting AGO directly using official channels. The local government is looking into these scams and trying to stop more fraud from happening to its citizens. In Knokke-Heist, about 20,000 fake emails were sent from an email address that looked very similar to the real one used by AGSO (the local Urban Development Company). However, the scam email address has small mistakes, like slight spelling changes or extra characters, that make it seem like it’s from AGSO. These small differences can be easy to miss.
Officials have confirmed that AGSO’s systems haven’t been hacked; instead, scammers are using fake email addresses that look similar to trick people. These fraudulent emails often ask for payments or sensitive information, making them seem real. The municipality advises everyone to be cautious with emails that appear to come from AGSO, urging recipients to verify messages through official channels and not respond to suspicious emails or make payments. Local authorities are actively working to address this issue and prevent further scams targeting residents and businesses in Knokke-Heist.
Mayor Jan MorbĂ©e (Gementebelangen) said, “We are looking into where the emails came from.” He added, “We will send another email to the people of Knokke-Heist to warn them.”
