Fake Recruiter Scams in Belgium
Fraudulent job offers targeting Belgian jobseekers on LinkedIn and Indeed, collecting personal data or advance fees under the guise of EU-sector or multinational recruitment.
Part of: Fake Recruiters
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Belgium's status as the seat of major EU institutions attracts job-seekers from across Europe, creating a large pool susceptible to fake EU-institution or multinational recruiter fraud. Scammers post convincing job ads on LinkedIn and Indeed claiming openings at EU bodies, major Brussels employers, or Belgian companies, then extract personal data, fees, or banking credentials during the fake onboarding process.
FOD Werkgelegenheid (Belgian Federal Employment Service) and LinkedIn Belgium have issued warnings. Young professionals and international job-seekers are disproportionately affected.
How this scam works on Belgium
A convincing LinkedIn message offers a remote or Brussels-based role at an EU institution, an international NGO, or a Belgian corporate. The 'recruiter' conducts an interview via WhatsApp or Google Meet, then sends an official-looking contract.
During onboarding, the victim is asked to pay for training materials, background checks, or Belgian work-permit processing fees. Some operations capture banking IBAN details under the guise of salary setup, then initiate unauthorised transactions.
Phishing variants use fake EU EPSO (European Personnel Selection Office) notifications to harvest candidate login credentials.
Common red flags
- Job offer from an EU institution via LinkedIn or WhatsApp rather than official EPSO channels
- Request for upfront payment for training, background checks, or permit fees
- Interview conducted entirely on WhatsApp or consumer-grade video app
- Salary payment setup requires you to provide full bank login credentials rather than just IBAN
- Contract arrives from a generic email domain, not a verifiable Belgian company domain
- Offer does not appear on the official employer's careers page
How to protect yourself
- Verify EU job opportunities exclusively at epso.europa.eu
- Check Belgian company job vacancies on their official website or verifiable careers portal
- Never pay recruitment fees to obtain a job — Belgian and EU employment law prohibits such charges
- Provide only IBAN for salary payments, never full banking credentials
- Verify the recruiter's LinkedIn profile against the company's official employee directory
- Report fake EU job ads to OLAF (European Anti-Fraud Office) at anti-fraud.ec.europa.eu
How to report it
- Report fake EU job ads to OLAF at anti-fraud.ec.europa.eu
- File a complaint at police.be
- Report fake LinkedIn profiles to LinkedIn directly
Frequently asked questions
Does the EU ever charge application fees for EPSO competitions?
No. EPSO competitions are free to apply for. Any site or person charging a fee for EU application processing is fraudulent.