Belgium investigates group using AI videos to impersonate royalty and scam money

Belgian investigators said on January 24th, local time, that since the beginning of 2025, a group of unidentified fraudsters have been impersonating members of the Belgian royal family to deceive foreign political and business elites, among others. The Federal Prosecutor's Office of Belgium said that the fraudsters set traps through emails, phone calls, and instant messaging apps, using fake videos generated by artificial intelligence to impersonate King Philippe of Belgium or his core aides in an attempt to deceive people who may have connections to the royal family. In the latest wave of fraud activities this month, the scammers also used the name of the king to send "video interview invitations" or "dinner invitations" to Belgian corporate executives, and requested them to pay "sponsorship fees" for these false events. In addition to foreign dignitaries and business leaders, the group also targeted Belgian families with close ties to the Belgian royal family. The Federal Prosecutor's Office of Belgium said in a statement, "Fortunately, most victims quickly saw through this scam." However, the group still managed to deceive one victim of their money. The Federal Prosecutor's Office said they are currently working with the specialized team of the Federal Police to investigate the attempted fraud cases.