People in France are warned to stay alert to scams this summer, with many criminal schemes targeting drivers, travellers, and holidaymakers. Here is how to spot them and how to avoid falling victim.
‘Emergency at the service station’
Gendarmes in the Loir-et-Cher department have particularly noted an increase in this scam, especially on the A10, A71, A85 roads - although it can happen anywhere.
Typically, when you stop at a service rest area, two people, sometimes accompanied by children, approach you, claiming to have had all their belongings stolen and to be penniless. They often speak English and pretend they are visiting France.
They then appeal to your kindness, and ask for some cash to help them out, promising to pay you back by bank transfer as soon as possible. (This bank transfer never comes, of course). The amounts lent usually vary between €400 to €900.
How to avoid it: Be wary of emergency situations that require immediate cash. Instead of lending money to strangers, offer to call the local authorities or accompany them to a police station or embassy.
Roadside panic
In a scam that is becoming increasingly common on the French-Spanish border, fraudsters are flagging down motorists pretending that something is seriously wrong, but in reality looking to steal everything they can.
One woman explained to TF1: “A white vehicle passed me with two men in it, waving urgently. They rolled down their windows, shouting things at me. As if I was on fire.”
Becoming panicked, she pulled over onto the hard shoulder, and the other vehicle parked in front. One of the men came to look at the woman’s car wheel and removed the hubcap.
The other man sneaked into the vehicle as it was left unlocked, and managed to steal the woman’s handbag, identity papers, keys, and iPad. “Everything was gone,” she said.
The scammers often target campervans as they tend to be used by holidaymakers who are carrying a lot of cash and valuables.
How to avoid it: Never stop on the side of the road if you can help it, and if you really must stop (or genuinely believe you have a problem), always lock your vehicle, whether you remain inside or get out.
Slashed tyres
In this scam, fraudsters usually go to a supermarket car park (or similar), and spot someone who looks vulnerable, usually an elderly person, who is leaving their car to do their shopping. The scammers then slash one of their car tyres.
When the shopper returns and realises what has happened, the scammers appear sympathetic and helpful, and offer to help change the tyre. But while one of them helps, the other will locate and steal any valuables in the vehicle while the victim is not looking
How to avoid it: Always lock your vehicle, be aware of this tyre scam, and never let a stranger inside your vehicle, even if they appear friendly. You can always call a garage to change the tyre.
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Bill padding
This has been reported in certain bars and restaurants, in which some servers have been found guilty of inflating prices of drinks and dishes, or by adding items not ordered to the bill.
How to avoid it: Double check your bill before you pay it, including checking that the prices are correct and that you are only being charged for items you actually ordered.
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‘Dream accommodation’
Here applies the old adage: ‘If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.’ Increasing numbers of scammers are tempting holidaymakers with accommodation offers that show beautiful photos, with low rates.
Once the holidaymaker has paid the deposit - or worse, the full amount - they get to the ‘property’ and find that it does not exist or is of far lower quality than advertised.
Many scammers are increasingly using artificial intelligence tools to create fake photos of ‘beautiful properties’ that do not actually exist.
How to avoid it: Beware of prices that are too attractive, photos that are too perfect, or an owner in a hurry to get your deposit. Only use reputable rental websites and check the reviews of previous tenants.
Research the address and photos of the property to make sure it really exists, and contact the owner or agency by telephone. Be wary of contacts made exclusively by email or text message. You can also ask for a live video phone chat to check that the property is really as it appears.
‘Hi Mum’
For parents with older children or those away from home on holiday, watch out for a message from an unknown number along the lines of: “Hi Mum, my phone's broken. You can send me a message on WhatsApp via this number: xxx…”.
If you get this type of impersonal message, be aware. It is typically a scam that aims to deceive worried parents, asking them for money to buy a new phone, to resolve travel or banking issues etc.
How to avoid it: Do not send any money unless you are 100% certain that the person texting is your child.
For example, call their usual number and see if they really are having problems. Try to contact someone who may be with them to double check. Ask the sender some questions that only your child would know the answer to.
Obviously be alert to anything that seems wrong, e.g. their usual style of texting, or calling you ‘mom’ instead of ‘mum’, ‘mam’, or ‘mummy’, for example.
If you have been fooled, immediately alert your bank of the fraudulent transaction to try to suspend the transfer if it has not yet been made, and keep the proof.
Breakdown blunder
In this scam, unscrupulous companies use navigation applications such as Waze to spot motorists who have broken down.
They then rush to the scene before the user has had chance to call a tow truck (or before the one they have called has arrived) and take charge of the vehicle themselves. The victim is either so grateful to see them that they accept, or they are fooled into believing this company is their insurer’s genuine tow truck.
When the time comes to pay, the stranded driver is billed an exorbitant amount, which the insurance company will not reimburse.
How to avoid it: When you contact assistance (for example, 112 on the motorway), specifically ask for the name of the company involved or the number plate of the tow truck, and only deal with them. Tell any others that you are waiting for a specific company, and be wary of any trucks that arrive suspiciously quickly.
An email or text message is usually sent to confirm the booking if you are dealing with a genuine insurer.
Fake transport tickets
Scammers are jumping on summer travellers by targeting train and public transport customers, in particular with fake websites that appear to offer good travel deals or season passes.
Fake websites can be convincing, and look almost identical to the real thing. For example, the subscription website for the Orléans transport company Kéolis was copied by a scammer, and even the director of Kéolis admitted that it was “rather a good copy”.
Often, the prices may be subtly better than those offered on the real website, but sometimes they are identical, in another way to persuade customers that the fake site is genuine.
How to avoid it: Always double check the URL of a website before paying, and check for any signs of a scam - for example, a website address that is not quite right, strange fonts, spelling errors, or poor quality images.
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Growing theft
While not a scam as such, holidays can offer criminals extra opportunities to steal; for example, taking valuable objects from your vehicle once you have parked in a tourist area, tourist accommodation car park, or service station.
How to avoid it: Be sure to hide any valuables away before exiting your vehicles (e.g. smartphone charging cables, wallets, jewellery, electronic devices, etc), and never leave any valuables in your boot if you can help it.
Always lock your car - including all doors, boot, and windows - even if you are only getting out to refuel or staying close.
It is also a good idea to carry any important documents with you at all times, and never leave them in your car, even if you are only getting out for a few moments. For example, the vehicle registration documents, your ID, passport, carte grise, etc. It is easy to carry these with you wherever you go.
