Woman Sentenced to Two Years for Marketplace Scams

A 56-year-old woman from Doornik has received a two-year prison sentence for her involvement in a widespread online fraud scheme. The court in Veurne also convicted a second woman, aged 77, for money laundering offenses related to the same operation.

The prosecution described the case as a "wave of fraud cases with the same modus operandi each time." Between April 2023 and May 2025, the perpetrators targeted approximately 50 victims across various locations, including Ostend, Roeselare, Middelkerke, Knokke-Heist, and Kortemark. The scam typically began when victims listed items for sale on Marketplace.

Victims were approached by the fraudsters who offered the asking price and claimed that the courier service GLS would collect the goods. Subsequently, victims received fake emails from GLS, prompting them to click a link to enter their details. Further communication via WhatsApp involved requests to arrange payments through their bank cards, which were all fraudulent. The scammers then used the victims' accounts to make unauthorized purchases.

While the two convicted women were not directly involved in creating the fake accounts, they provided essential personal information, including their bank accounts, phone numbers, IP addresses, or delivery addresses, to facilitate the fraud. One of the women claimed she was misled by an online romantic interest, but the court found she was aware of the fraudulent activities. She was sentenced in absentia. The court also ordered the forfeiture of 10,000 euros and mandated a compensation payment of 35,000 euros to the victims. The 77-year-old woman, who had sought ways to make quick money due to severe debts, was acquitted of fraud but convicted of money laundering for purchasing paysafecards and withdrawing thousands of euros on behalf of the group.

“

A wave of fraud cases with the same modus operandi each time.