Worldline’s Woes Deepen as Belgium Opens Probe Into Payment Firm

The Worldline SA office building in the La Defense business district in Paris. 

Photographer: Nathan Laine/Bloomberg

Worldline SA has long claimed to have cleaned up its payments business. Now, regulators and investors are testing that narrative after fresh allegations it overlooked fraud among high-risk clients.

The Brussels Public Prosecutor’s Office on Friday said it has opened a probe into Worldline’s Belgian unit following a series of media reports claiming the French firm ignored warnings and continued doing business with prohibited and high-risk clients, allowing some fraudulent transactions to persist. Sweden’s Financial Supervisory Authority said it called the company to a meeting.