The investigation into the case of the “fraud LuxTrust” is shifting its focus. Having previously targeted individuals believed to be organisers and coordinators, the Luxembourg authorities are now working their way up the chain to those carrying out the operations. The latest case, announced by the Luxembourg Public Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday 6 May, involves a 23-year-old Frenchman who was arrested in France in April and handed over to the Grand Duchy on 27 April; he is currently in pre-trial detention.

The contrast with previous arrests is striking. At the end of February, a young Luxembourg resident was described as an organiser, responsible for recruiting and structuring the network. At the end of March, a French national arrested in Spain was suspected of playing a ‘leading and central’ role in coordinating operations. This time, the Public Prosecutor’s Office is highlighting a hands-on role, essential to the success of the scam.

The man is suspected of having been involved in at least 32 frauds by visiting the victims’ homes in person. His role as a “courier” involved collecting their bank cards after luring them into handing them over through phishing attacks that imitated organisations such as the CNS, MyGuichet and LuxTrust. Once he had the cards in his possession, a series of fraudulent withdrawals could follow.

Losses of more than €10m

This detail says it all about how fraud has evolved. Far from being purely digital, it relies on a hybrid model where online manipulation spills over into the real world. Phishing opens the door, but it is real individuals who carry out the operation. The charges cover a wide range of offences – fraud, robbery, computer fraud, money laundering and participation in a criminal organisation – and reflect the structure of the network. The exact extent of the suspect’s role remains to be determined, as the investigation continues.

But the figures are already known. More than 700 complaints were recorded in 2024 and 2025, with losses exceeding €10m. This was a large-scale fraud scheme, profitable enough to warrant a cross-border operation, recruitment and a well-oiled logistics network.

In response to this modus operandi, the Public Prosecutor’s Office tirelessly repeats the same message, proof that it is still struggling to curb the phenomenon: “No bank, no financial services provider, nor LuxtTrust ever asks its customers to disclose their security details.” And, above all, “these institutions do not visit customers’ homes to collect bank cards”...