Scams: Beware of fake bank advisors, how to react to scammers?

“It was a number starting with 01. My husband asked me to call. They knew everything about us, they had our names and addresses,” explains the retiree. On the phone, a man introduced himself as a member of the anti-fraud department at La Banque Postale, Sylvie’s bank. He explained that she should cut her bank card in half and put it in an envelope. “He told me that since Covid, they systematically sent someone.”

An hour later, a man wearing a yellow vest bearing the La Banque Postale logo showed up at the victim's home. The pensioner gave the courier her card, cut in half. The man then asked Sylvie to turn off her cell phone. When she turned it back on, she discovered messages from her bank. Unfortunately, these, unlike the others, were authentic. "More than €6,000 had just been withdrawn," Sylvie sighed.

This so-called "bank advisor" scam is wreaking havoc in France. In the first half of 2023, it is estimated to have already caused more than €200 million in damages. It's constantly increasing, according to the cybermalveillance.gouv platform, which is responsible for assisting victims of cybercrime. A few months ago, a team reached the Gironde region. "When I filed a complaint, I discovered that someone who lived in the same housing estate as me had also been a victim," says Sylvie. Around twenty victims have reportedly been identified, mainly in the Arcachon basin and southern Gironde. The damages are estimated to be as high as €60,000.

They are far from isolated. In recent months, in France, figures such as Michel Drucker, Dave, and even former anti-terrorism judge Jean-Louis Bruguière have been taken in. "The effectiveness of this scam lies both in the state of panic in which victims are plunged, convinced they are victims of fraud, and the credibility the scammer inspires," notes Jean-Jacques Latour, director of cybersecurity expertise at the cybermalveillance.gouv platform.

To inspire trust, scammers use software to spoof a bank's real phone number. Victims then see their bank's real number displayed on their phones. "Before launching the scam, the criminals also gathered very specific information about their targets. They either infected their computers with viruses or used phishing techniques. For example, they'll be sent a fake form for a fine, and by filling it out, the victims will hand over data that will then be used against them," explains Jean-Jacques Latour.

A week ago, a man was arrested in Mérignac and charged with "organized fraud." Investigators from the Arcachon investigation unit, who discovered luxury clothing purchased with a victim's bank card at his home, suspect him of being linked to recent scams in the Gironde region, in which he allegedly acted as a courier or driver.

"This is a very large-scale case, perfectly organized with fuses. My client is just a small fish," said the lawyer for the accused, ^Mr. Pierre Blazy.

(1) The first name has been changed.