Antwerp (Brussels Morning Newspaper): Between 2015 and 2017, a group of young people in Antwerp executed a telecom fraud scheme, acquiring expensive mobile phones through contracts without payment, causing significant losses for telecom companies. Kristof Aerts from the Antwerp prosecutor’s office highlighted their organized efforts and false identity.
Between 2015 and 2017, a group of young people carried out a fraud scheme against telecom companies. They signed contracts to get expensive mobile phones at low prices but didn’t intend to pay the monthly fees. Instead, they quickly sold the phones to local buyers. According to Kristof Aerts from the Antwerp public prosecutor’s office, this left the telecom companies with many unpaid bills, causing them significant financial losses.
What organized tactics did young fraudsters use to exploit telecom companies in Antwerp?
To avoid getting in trouble, many of these young people filed false reports with the authorities, claiming their identity cards had been stolen and misused to set up fraudulent contracts. This tactic aimed to make them appear as victims of identity theft rather than fraudsters. The prosecutor’s office has identified these actions as part of a larger, organized scheme, linking them to a coordinated effort to defraud telecom providers on a significant scale.
Many young people involved live in the Kiel and Luchtbal areas. Kristof Aerts said that the large number of participants suggests there was some planning, with a few people in charge. This will be discussed in the upcoming hearing. They were trying to make easy money, which is why action is being taken now, but since these events happened a few years ago, this will be considered in the claims.
