Safeguarding trust: Fraud and resilience in an evolving world

The awareness-behaviour gap: A shared challenge

Payment fraud and cybersecurity threats present evolving challenges for Belgian citizens, financial institutions, and policymakers. Attacks are becoming more convincing and targeted, particularly with the use of artificial intelligence.

While most Belgians are appropriately cautious when encountering fraud scenarios and have access to robust fraud prevention tools, our research shows that even aware citizens can become vulnerable under pressure. Our findings also reveal a nuanced picture: citizens have high expectations for institutional protection, and while financial institutions and government agencies have implemented substantial safeguards, there remains a communication gap between the protections in place and public awareness of them. Closing this gap requires transparent dialogue about both what institutions are doing and where collective effort can strengthen defences further.

Our research uncovers important insights across awareness, behaviour, institutional support, and generational resilience. Amongst other:

• 45% of Belgians have experienced online fraud or identity theft
• 33% of attempts were successful
• 45% of Belgians do not know where to report or whom to contact
• 78% feel stressed and worried about AI-enabled fraud

A collaborative path forward

Successfully addressing increasingly sophisticated attacks requires continued collaboration and commitment across the entire ecosystem.

In our report, we outline a comprehensive action plan that builds on existing efforts and encourages payment ecosystem stakeholders to strengthen their approach through enhanced automation, real-time defences, and deeper collaboration—recognising that no single institution can address these challenges alone, and that collective resilience requires shared commitment and transparent partnership.