The incidence of scams is increasing. They pose a constant worry to many of us. One useful Government system ‘FranceConnect’ is a digital authentication guaranteeing the identity of a user to official sites or applications. It is based on existing accounts for which their identity has already been verified. This has created a new layer of security to help you keep safe.
In recent times the most common scams have been:
- Receiving goods in the post. You may receive a text or email claiming to be from Colissimo or another delivery company, saying your parcel is en attente de livraison (waiting to be delivered), or a rencontré un problème lors de son acheminement (encountered a problem during delivery).
- Verifying information. You may receive a text message informing you that your Carte Vitale is about to expire or must be updated, inviting you to fill in a form which will demand personal information.
A recent scam saw fraudsters pose as FranceConnect agents, who then attempt to get you to divulge your details. They often know some basic information about you, such as full name and date of birth, thus making them appear legitimate. They promise the respondent that they will receive an email confirming their data. They may then ask you to “confirm” your email address by spelling it out in full. To avoid falling foul of a scam FranceConnect has advised people:
- Never to give out personal data over the phone or via SMS.
- Never to click on a link that comes from an SMS unless you are 100% sure it is genuine.
- To look for small details and errors in website addresses before you click. Take note that scam web sites or email addresses are likely to have small character changes or different punctuation from the valid correct address (e.g. ‘france-connect’ or ‘franceconnect-gouv’ instead of ‘franceconnect’ or ‘franceconnect.gouv’).
- Remember that FranceConnect will never call to ask you to confirm details.
- Stay alert even if the telephone number appears legitimate, as scammers can use technology to change their number.
- Use the FranceConnect+ tool, which offers verification tools as an extra layer of security. The web address uses a stronger authentication system and two-step verification to secure your account even more.
If you fall victim to a scam:
- Inform your bank immediately.
- Report it to the police or gendarmerie.
- Contact France Victimes for help with this by calling 116 006 (or, if abroad, +33 (0) 1 80 52 33 76).
Once you have told the bank, you can report bank account fraud using the government’s site