Warning – Phishing attempts usurping the identity of statistical institutes

Statbel wishes to draw the attention of businesses and organisations to an ongoing international spear phishing campaign that has been reported to several European national statistical institutes.

Fraudulent emails are circulating, pretending to be from official statistical institutes. More specifically, they require businesses to provide information concerning debts owed to foreign companies.

Statbel would like to point out that this type of information is never collected by our services.

What should you do if you receive such an email?

• Do not reply to this message
• Do not provide any information
• Do not open any attachments or links
• Forward the message immediately to [email protected]

Reporting enables the relevant authorities to block the phishing campaign more quickly and prevent further victims.

Important reminder

Statbel only uses clearly identifiable official channels to collect statistical data and never makes unexpected or urgent requests by email concerning:

• debts,
• sensitive information about third-party businesses,
• or financial data not provided for in a legal framework and communicated in advance.

If in doubt, please visit our official website www.statbel.fgov.be or contact Statbel directly at [email protected].

Let's remain vigilant

Everyone's vigilance is essential in combating online fraud attempts.

By promptly reporting suspicious messages, you are actively contributing to collective cybersecurity.