Where should victims of fraud turn for help?

The Luxembourg Government is launching the cyberfraud.lu portal, which is designed to help people prevent online fraud, respond to it quickly and receive support following an incident. The project was presented by the Ministry of the Economy and the Luxembourg House of Cybersecurity. According to them, fraudulent schemes are becoming increasingly sophisticated: fake messages from banks, identity theft, bogus offers, investment scams, payment fraud and telephone manipulation. Sometimes it takes just a few minutes for a person to be left penniless, unsure of who to turn to or what to do.

The 2026 national campaign focuses not only on prevention, but also on the ability to react quickly and find the right help. The portal is designed to answer the key question that arises immediately after a scam: ‘What should I do now?’. It is based on the ‘victim’s journey’: the user answers questions about their situation, and the service directs them to the appropriate support services.

Pascal Steichen, Director of the Luxembourg House of Cybersecurity, notes that people who realise they have fallen victim to fraudsters are often at a loss: it is unclear what to do first, who to notify, what information to provide and what evidence to keep. According to him, through cyberfraud.lu, the organisers aim to provide specific answers and guide victims step by step.

In addition, the portal features a form that victims can use to provide a description of what happened. It helps to organise important information: the sequence of events and their chronology, the individuals or organisations involved, contact details used, any transactions, messages received, links and other relevant material. The form also reminds users what evidence they should keep and why. These include screenshots, emails, messages, telephone numbers, bank details, links and invoices. They may be important for understanding what happened and documenting the incident.

The form serves a dual purpose: to help people ensure they do not overlook anything in a stressful situation and to facilitate the passing on of information to the relevant authorities.

Banks have also joined the effort to protect citizens. Ananda Kautz, a board member of the Association of Banks and Bankers of Luxembourg (ABBL) responsible for payments, transformation and technology, emphasised that banks cannot tackle this on their own. According to her, the entire chain must work together: from telecoms operators and digital platforms to government bodies.