2026 Benelux survey of banking leaders on fraud risk
In response, new regulations, including the Payment Services Regulation (PSR) and the revised Payment Services Directive (PSD3), are raising the bar for fraud prevention and customer protection. In a region where authorized push payment (APP) fraud is a dominant threat, banks are under growing pressure to stop fraudulent payments before they occur. The challenge is compounded by the widespread use of Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) instant payments, which leave little opportunity to recover funds once transactions clear.
To better understand how financial institutions are responding, BioCatch surveyed 100 fraud and financial crime leaders at banks across the Benelux region. The findings reveal where pressure is building, which threats are causing the greatest concern, and how prepared organizations feel for the regulatory and technological changes ahead.
In these results, you’ll discover:
- Fraud losses increasing: Sixty percent of Benelux respondents say fraud losses at their institution are growing, above the European average (51%) and in line with the global average (60%). However, fewer than half report annual losses exceeding $10 million.
- Real-time payments driving risk: Four in five Benelux respondents (80%) say fraud risk has increased following the introduction of SEPA Instant Payments. Meanwhile, nearly all respondents (98%) say Wero has already affected fraud patterns and volumes, underscoring the impact of payment innovation on the fraud landscape.
- Confidence remains high, but uneven: Confidence in current fraud controls remains relatively strong, with 64% of respondents describing them as effective and 36% as very effective. However, confidence is lower among C-suite executives, only 28% of whom view current controls as very effective, compared with 60% of all other respondents.
- Scam reimbursement lagging: Only one-third of Benelux respondents (33%) say their organization reimburses more than half of scam losses, well below both the European average (53%) and the global average (44%).
- Fraud technology adoption growing: Benelux respondents overwhelmingly plan to upgrade their fraud prevention technologies, with 92% reporting planned investments. Among them, 59% are already implementing new solutions or actively evaluating vendors.
- Reputation over finances: Although concern about reputational impact is slightly lower among Benelux banking leaders than their European and global peers (66% vs. 69% and 71%, respectively), reputational damage remains a greater concern than the direct financial impact of fraud and scams
- Regulatory preparations underway: Most banks in the region are preparing for PSR and PSD3 mandates, with 74% of respondents reporting active preparation efforts. Nearly half (49%) are developing internal plans to update reimbursement policies, while 25% have already begun implementing changes.
Download the report to see the full results and accompanying analysis from our global fraud intelligence team.