Identity theft, online payment and investment fraud, bank check scams, or online shopping scams… prevention against online scams. Because it is prevention which makes it possible to avoid the trap of scams upstream”, there where “the reparation and compensation of victims involve complex and more uncertain processes “recalls this guide.
The document appears as the use of e-commerce sites and digital tools has exploded with the health crisis. In addition to essentially online scams (phishing, theft of bank details or false administrative sites, for example), there are new sheets relating to fraud techniques that have been widely observed in recent months. Transfer diversions (157 million euros in damage in 2020 according to the Observatory for the Security of Means of Payment), check scams (538 million euros in check fraud in 2020) are thus reviewed. according to the same Observatory) or even CPF (personal training account) scams.
Checks and comparisons
Prevention messages are available and accompany the description of the different types of scams identified. The government also advises Internet users to strengthen their digital security thanks to the information available on the cybermalveillance.gouv.fr site and to use complex passwords.
Great vigilance must therefore be applied when receiving emails requesting information and personal data. It must then be ensured that the interlocutor does not usurp the identity of an authorized professional (via an authorization number or an address). To do this, do not hesitate to make a counter-call at the professional’s headquarters, or to compare email addresses.
Regarding online shopping sites, some precautions should be taken by customers. And first and foremost, verify the identity of the seller. All online merchants must provide Internet users with information enabling them to be identified (name, company name, address and contact details). These can be found in the legal notices, or in the general conditions of sale.
The government also recalls that no public institution (DGCCRF or Banque de France for example) or supervisory authority may request the communication of personal information or the payment of money, whether by email or by telephone.
The most generous Internet users are regularly targeted. In the context of the Ukrainian conflict, fraudulent calls for donations or solidarity kitties have increased.
23,000 reports since March
Beware of ransomware (ransomware), also notifies the Task Force. This malware takes Internet users’ data hostage and demands a ransom (in cryptocurrency) in exchange for a password to gain access to it again. To avoid it, users must regularly apply security updates to their computers and activate their antivirus.
In addition to the preventive sheets, the shared guide offers a list of remedies in the event of proven fraud. Any victim must inform the financial establishments of which he is a client (banks and insurers in particular) as soon as possible. If funds have been transferred to a scammer, there is always the possibility of contacting their bank to try to block or reverse the transfer. However, the result is not guaranteed.
In all cases, it is important to keep as much information as possible (e-mails, transfer orders, etc.) and to file a complaint after ascertaining the facts, at the police station, by post or online on the Thésée platform (section “Internet scam”). This, created in March 2022, has already recorded nearly 23,000 reports.