There are a lot of fake promotions on the internet. While consumer prices rose 4.8% last month over a one-year period according to INSEE, some may be tempted to turn to promotions, especially online. And the web is not lacking. But beware, many tempting offers are scams. The number of scams of this type in one year increased by 251%. Anyway, this was revealed by France Verif, a free platform that detects fraudulent scams on the web. To arrive at this observation, the latter conducted a study between May 2021 and May 2022 on 300,000 French consumers online. “The Internet is full of opportunities, especially in this period of high inflation, but you have to be very vigilant,” said Laurent Amar, co-founder of France Verif.
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From fraud to identity theft
Food processor, telephone, video game console… It is not important that you see ads for bargain-priced products appearing on your navigation page. “Scammers, who are often based abroad, target trendy products. They analyze demand by country to better target their victims,” says Laurent Amar analysis. To erase any suspicion of fraud, scammers do not hesitate to create sites similar to those of major companies such as Ikea, Fnac or Cdiscount. “Even the toughest can fall into the trap,” he says. Checking the site URL and the presence of the lock in the navigation bar can be effective in identifying fraudulent sites. Another trend that the startup noticed: ads often appear on social networks that offer discount coupons for use in supermarkets.
Screenshots provided by France Verif. The sites are no longer connected to the Internet.
Once you open the web page of one of these fraudulent websites, two types of consumer fraud can turn on. On the other hand, personal data including banking information will be requested to make the purchase. In addition to not receiving the product, the victim’s data is stolen, which leads to fraud on his bank accounts. Laurent Amar warns: “Scams can go even further when an identity document is requested for a purchase. An Internet user can see their identity usurped.”
On the other hand, by clicking on the site, a page may open asking whether you want to accept cookies or not, just like all sites on the Internet. Problem: On fraudulent pages, the virus can directly attack the victim’s computer or laptop after clicking on the cookie acceptance banner. An attack that allows cybercriminals to hijack your banking apps. “It’s a double penalty kick,” says Laurent Amar. In the hope of defrauding as many people as possible, he adds, “cybercriminal companies can set up 10-20 websites per day, and even 80 for the largest of them.” And once you fall into the trap, it can be hard to get your money back.
Possible remedies but few refunds
In 2020, 26 million French were victims of online fraud and 1.2 million families fell victim to credit card fraud with a total value of €473 million in 2020, according to the latest annual report of the Observatory for Payments Security (OSMP) published in August 2021. However, Remedies are still very limited in the hope of recovering the amount stolen. “It is possible to file a complaint at the police station or with the DGCCRF. But as long as the fraudster is not found, it is impossible to obtain compensation,” explains Alexander Fuchot, a lawyer for Bird & Bird specializing in the trade. Line. Another solution: Go to your bank. But she must still have made a mistake, such as refusing to oppose a deal, to compensate her client. “If you voluntarily provide your banking information for an online purchase, your bank will not reimburse you,” adds Maître Vuchot. According to a study by UFC-Que-Choisir published in October 2020, 30% of frauds are not compensated by banks. Note that the bank cannot refund the fraudulent payment if it is more than 13 months old.
To support the victims of fraud, the government has posted on its website the steps to be followed to obtain compensation. Fraudulent use of personal data, online purchase, email address hacking … All steps are indicated according to the type of fraud.