The Grand Ducal court has issued a warning about scam emails that have been sent in the name of the Luxembourgish royal family.
“One or more unidentified persons have usurped the identity of the House of the Grand Duke. These actions were committed by means of fraudulent e-mails using false e-mail addresses and instant messaging services impersonating members of the Management Committee of the House of the Grand Duke,” a statement said.
The perpetrators of the scam tried to obtain information from third parties and mislead them. The statement reminds people to check the origin of emails, which come from @gdl.etat.lu email addresses if genuine.
“Competent authorities” have been alerted to investigate and carry out “appropriate steps”.
The news from Luxembourg comes as Belgium’s royal household released details of a series of sophisticated fraud attempts exploiting the symbolic authority of the Belgian monarchy.
The case has been ongoing for a year, Virgule reported. An investigation has been conducted by the Federal Prosecutor’s Office, conducted in collaboration with the Belgian Centre for Cybersecurity and the Federal Computer Crime Unit. It revealed the existence of fraudulent schemes using the identity of King Philippe, members of his inner circle and other high-ranking state officials to extort money from carefully targeted victims.
The incidents trace back to early 2025, when some foreign dignitaries, Belgian families and business leaders started receiving unexpected messages via phone, email or apps such as WhatsApp. Communications appeared to come from the palace, the King Baudouin Foundation or from well‑known figures working for the king. The aim was always identical: to solicit financial contributions for a cause described as “both urgent and highly sensitive”.
