Scam

Watch out for these three letters on French bank transfers - they may indicate a scam

Direct debit deductions made by scammers can go unnoticed amongst legitimate payments

Data of more than 200,000 Chronopost clients in France stolen: what to do if affected

The information, including some phone numbers, may be used by scammers at a later date

Beware this ‘bin change’ scam doing the rounds in France

Fraudsters claim to be from local mairie but ask for money on-the-spot

practical

What to do if scammers try a ‘money mule’ trick on your French bank account

Scammers send you money ‘by mistake’ and become increasingly threatening if you do not return it

Police urge drivers in Dordogne to be alert to return of this scam

Three drivers were scammed out of cash last month

French MPs vote in favour of ban on sales calls unless consent has been given

Consumers will need to give written consent to receive calls

Microsoft users in France at risk of cyberattack and should update urgently

The government platform www.cybermalveillance.gouv.fr has warned of several vulnerabilities in the software

Scammers using UK phone numbers to target people in France

The calls do not actually come from the UK, but fraudsters use software to make the call appear as though it does

Scams: How to avoid SIM swapping in France

Technique allows hackers to access personal data and bank accounts

French TV show pulled for mocking woman who fell in love with ‘AI Brad Pitt’

The woman described how she had been conned out of more than €800,000

Watch out for this end-of-year carte Vitale scam in France

An official looking email purporting to be from Assurance maladie asks recipients for their personal information

Wine scammers targeting retirees in south-west France handed prison sentences

One victim spent €14,000 on wine in six months

Chronopost, Colissimo, and Mondial Relay: Beware delivery scams in France

The surge in Christmas shopping always leads to an uptick of scams at this time of year

Watchdog highlights Christmas food shopping ‘scams’ in France

Pastries with palm oil, excess packaging, inflated prices…vote for the worst ‘scam’ in this food watchdog’s annual contest

The ‘windscreen mafia’: Drivers in France warned of major repair scam

Scams include offering ‘free gifts’ that never arrive, and charging extortionate prices

Court jails large-scale solar panel scammer, 800 victims in France

Over 1,000 people worldwide paid for panels that were never delivered

France to crack down on false landline numbers in bid to halt scammers

Scammers are increasingly turning to landline number software to fool respondents

Alert over scam ‘useful numbers’ fridge magnets posted in letterboxes in France

A useful number magnet, with official-looking designs, is being posted into residents’ letterboxes

Do not fall for a scam relating to a ‘gift’ Decathlon tent in France

It is being spread via a Facebook post that invites users to take part in ‘a simple competition’...

Government warning about scammers pretending to be French authorities

Fraudulent emails and texts are rife during tax season

France is worst country in Europe for bank card fraud: how to protect yourself

More than €630 million was fraudulently taken in first half of 2024 from EU bank cards

Warning over sophisticated holiday rental scam across France

Holidaymakers are warned to be alert to a fraudulent site when booking holiday rentals

French couple tell how they were scammed by Britons in car park

Family told couple they had ‘lost all of their papers and had their bank cards stolen’ before asking for cash

New scam over household bins in France: how to avoid being caught out

The scam relates to your council-issued bin

Eight scams doing the rounds this summer in France

Summer travel means one thing: More scammers, especially on the roads and at transport hubs. Here are tips to avoid falling victim

See 7 French supermarket items on watchdog’s ‘scam products’ list

‘Basil’ soup with 0.2% basil, and ‘olive’ breadsticks that use palm oil are among products highlighted in the group’s new hit list

Warning over scam QR codes on parking meters in south of France

The fake codes take users to a website designed to steal their banking details

Watch out for health card scams around Olympics, warn French officials

The Assurance maladie will never ask you to pay to ‘renew’ or deliver your carte Vitale, or ask you for login details

Fraudsters target bank cards in your pocket in new scam in France

Contactless payments can be taken without the need for the card to leave a pocket

Watch out for cybercrooks who pretend to be French anti-fraud officers

Criminals are trying to scam the very agency responsible for catching scammers

Holidaymakers in France hit by huge surge of online crime aided by AI

Online phishing scams have increased by up to 900% in the past 18 months, a hotel expert warns

New way to check if a website or email is fraudulent in France

The free portal checks your link against its database of scam addresses

Paris Olympics ticket scams: 338 websites identified for resale fraud

Plus, how to avoid Olympics and Paralympics scam tickets

Warning to drivers as parking meter scam back doing rounds in France

How to avoid falling victim to the fraud, which involves stealing your credit card

Alert over Wangiri telephone scams in France: What is this?

How to avoid this increasingly common ‘unknown number’ scam

Watch out for these scams as Paris prepares for 2024 Olympics

Free tickets, fake reviews, and scam tipping - watch out for these potential traps

Scam alert in France: ‘Parcel does not fit into your letterbox’

The scam may be especially convincing for people who often shop online

How to avoid scams around ‘mystery parcel deals’ in France

The practice of buying mystery undelivered items is increasing…but so are the scams

Computer scam catches 1,700 victims in France - how to avoid it

The scam starts with an email, and ends with a fraudulent subscription

Stay alert: French tax officials show examples of tax fraud emails

Familiarising yourself with scam emails is one way of avoiding falling victim

New ‘get cash for testing Amazon items’ scam discovered in France

The trick came to light when fraudsters inadvertently targeted a fraud expert

Phone scams, gardening, insurance claims: 5 French practical updates

Our roundup of recent practical articles you may have missed

Scams in France: watch out for these telephone prefixes

Stay alert to these numbers as they are often used by fraudsters

‘Smishing’: Warning over this common scamming trick in France

It comes as 15-year-old is arrested near Bordeaux on suspicion of using this way of scamming to spend €12,000 of victims’ money on online shopping goods

Dog-walks, airport scam, tax season: 5 French practical updates

Our round-up of recent articles you may have missed

‘Professional scammer’ targeting people at airport in south-west France

Passengers are warned to be alert to a well-dressed man who often pretends to be an airline executive

Health strike, foreigners’ tax errors, scams: French practical updates

Our round-up of recent practical articles you may have missed

€50 note on your windscreen? Watch out for this scam in France

Police highlighted other tricks including ‘flat tyre’ fraud which are also on the rise

Bank call scams: why more people are being caught out in France

Fraudsters are becoming smarter as the number of potential targets continues to increase

Couple who wrecked French chateau after pretending to be buyers jailed

The con artists had a history of targeting high value properties

French renovation firms invented ‘norms’ to con homeowners into work

Victims lost an average of €8,000 but some lost much more

Bin taxes, bank scams, chimneys: 5 French practical updates

Our round up of practical articles you may have missed

How to avoid falling victim to ‘false bank advisor’ scams in France

These types of scams have ‘exploded’ in recent years, says a cybersecurity expert

33 million social security numbers hacked in France: beware scammers

Victims are warned to be cautious about messages concerning the reimbursement of medical bills

Life insurance pay-out scam resurfaces in France - how to spot it

The con involves realistic notaire letters but there are tell-tale signs

Fraudsters open shops claiming to sell big brand kitchens in France

Victims are duped into paying deposits before the stores close down and move on

Tech scams, heating aids, new addresses: 5 French practical updates

Our round up of practical news you may have missed

Property buyers in France scammed out of €26,000 by fake bank advisor

Couple checked the advisor’s details but thieves had stolen his identity to trick them into paying over a property deposit

Beware new scams involving QR codes in France

We look at how to avoid being caught out as more and more fraudsters use this method to trick people

Firewood scam: Three sentenced for €100,000 website fraud in France

The scammers stole €30,000 on a single website alone, and took advantage of a firewood shortage to trick customers with too-good-to-be-true offers

Signature fraud over Paris flats costs owner over €1 million

Stolen signature was used to sign off on property share transfers

Warning over QR code scam with electric car charging in France

The warning comes as the number of electric vehicles on the roads continues to rise

Watch out for this scam parcel text in run up to Christmas in France

Gendarmerie are warning people to stay alert to this common Chronopost scam

Scams, ID checks, waste tax: French practical round up

Our recap of recent practical articles

Salmon, panettone: beware these 7 Christmas food ‘scams’ in France

The public is advised to be alert to misleading packaging - and to vote for the worst fraud on this year’s shortlist

Fake police, electricians, workers: alert over rise in scams in France

Men dressed as police took a safe containing €500,000 from an 85-year-old woman

Tips to avoid home renovation scams in France

More cases are expected as the government increases the amount available in grants for eco-friendly projects

Alert over fake police officers after couple lose €3,000 in France

The criminals lured the couple from their home, saying their car window had been smashed

How to spot fake sellers of calendars in France

Warnings issued after the number of scams begins to rise once again

Fraud, doctors, taxes: round up of practical articles from France

We recap recent updates you may have missed

Warning as ‘black computer screen’ scam targets people in France

The threat comes from a network of up to 300 cybercriminals based in Israel

Scams, aid, tax bills sent in error: five French practical updates

Our pick of recent practical articles you may have missed

Seven much-used scams to watch out for in France

They are happening more often and are becoming harder to spot

Watch out for fake officials and aid scams after storms in France

Their aim is to benefit from the damage caused

Wooden house passed off as brick fools new owners in France

The couple bought the house believing it was made of brick but later found that fake cladding had been placed around wooden structure