The Federal Prosecutor’s Office and the Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium have issued a warning about scammers who use artificial intelligence (AI) to impersonate prominent figures, including King Philippe. A criminal investigation into the fraudsters has been launched.
Since early 2025, foreign dignitaries, Belgian families, and business leaders have been contacted by scammers by telephone, email, or WhatsApp with the intent to obtain money from them.
According to the Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium, these fraudsters use AI to convince their victims that the call or message is coming from the Royal Palace or the King Baudouin Foundation, a foundation that seeks to change society for the better by investing in societal projects and individuals.
Because of the victims’ connection with Belgium’s Royal Family, the call appears credible. The victims are being told a Belgian journalist is being held hostage in Syria, and money is needed to free him.
Most victims quickly realized they were being deceived. However, in one case, an unknown sum of money was transferred.
At the beginning of January 2026, a new wave of fraud attempts was detected. This time around, Belgian business leaders were the scammers’ prime targets.
Unlike earlier scam attempts, victims were invited to participate in a conference call to convince them they were actually speaking with King Philippe of Belgium. However, the images used in the video call were AI-generated.
In addition, some CEOs received fake invitations to a gala dinner supposedly organized by the King Baudouin Foundation, planned for February and April 2026. Victims were asked to contribute or sponsor the non-existent event.
Apart from King Philippe, fake images of his chief of cabinet, Vincent Houssiau, and head of the general intelligence and security service (ADIV), Stéphane Dutron, have been used to lure people into donating money.
Who’s behind the phishing attempts remains unclear. The Federal Prosecutor’s Office is currently conducting a preliminary investigation, together with the Federal Computer Crime Unit (FCCU) and other specialized services of the federal police, into the matter.
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