France and Belgium confront rising phishing scams and roll out new fraud‑reporting tools

French law requires banks to reimburse unauthorized payments immediately, except when the customer is proved to have committed "gross negligence" in protecting payment data. The regulation (Article L.133‑18) obliges banks to credit the customer’s account by the next working day after the fraud is reported, and places the burden of proof on the bank to demonstrate severe negligence.

The French government is also preparing mandatory electronic invoicing for large companies from September 2026. Experts warn that while e‑invoicing aims to curb VAT fraud, it will introduce new fraud vectors, such as forged invoices with fraudulent IBANs and AI‑generated documents. Solutions based on artificial intelligence are being promoted to detect inconsistencies beyond simple format checks.

Separately, the French tax authority has warned of a phishing campaign that sends fake refund emails claiming a €219 reimbursement. The messages copy official logos and use a realistic amount to lure victims into providing banking details.

In Belgium, a Testachats survey found that 86 % of respondents have faced phishing attempts, with 60 % involving monetary requests and an average loss of €860. Victims report poor support from police and banks. To improve response, consumer groups call for a single national reporting point.

Belgium has also launched Fraudstop, a 24‑hour emergency phone number (078 170 170) that consolidates card‑blocking (Cardstop) and fraud‑reporting services, aiming to streamline assistance and increase the chance of recovering stolen funds.