Prison sentences of up to 1 year for perpetrators who defrauded Prince Laurent and Princess Claire of 17,000 euros

Four defendants have been sentenced to prison terms of up to one year for defrauding Prince Laurent and Princess Claire of €17,000. The couple fell victim to a phishing scam in December 2021 when Princess Claire clicked a link in a fraudulent SMS. After entering her personal information on a fake website, they discovered unauthorized transactions totaling €17,776. Although the authorities identified four 'money mules' involved in the scheme, the main perpetrators remain unknown. The defendants received suspended sentences ranging from 6 to 12 months and are required to repay €10,765.75. A woman from Antwerp linked to the scam was acquitted, as her phone number was spoofed by the fraudsters.