Fraud Awareness


We have identified a number of possible fraud scenarios that you are liable to encounter. To help you avoid the traps set by dishonest individuals and enable you to carry out all your transactions with complete peace of mind (in a local branch, by phone, or online), please familiarize yourself with the examples presented below. This list of different fraud scenarios is not, unfortunately, exhaustive...

General recommendations

  • Never disclose your personal or banking information! A customer advisor will never ask you for login details or banking information such as your username/password, bank card number, a verification code received by text message, or your Secur’Pass verification code.
  • Check your accounts regularly to identify any unusual transactions or transactions that you have not initiated yourself and, if you note anything suspicious, contact your branch as soon as possible.
  • Be vigilant should you receive any unusual, urgent, confidential, or overly attractive requests.
  • Do not invest under pressure: consult official websites and do not hesitate to reach out to your bank advisor to obtain their opinion.
  • Be careful about the confidentiality of anything you publish online, especially on social media: fraudsters are particularly interested in obtaining your personal and professional information; this makes it easier for them to manipulate you psychologically.


Different types of fraud

Most types of fraud rely on psychological manipulation to gain trust and use collected data to impersonate someone from the company, a customer, a supplier, or an acquaintance of the victim.

Using data obtained from fraudulent websites asking for personal information or, alternatively, obtained from data leaks, the fraudster will convince the victim of their (false) good faith, create a sense of urgency to unnerve the victim, or use security issues as a pretext to make you carry out a transaction.

Remember: your bank will never ask you for your banking information: your bank ID and access code, credit card number, etc.

Credit card fraud

You should take precautions to prevent fraud involving your credit card, such as a third party using your card or its associated data.

Your card is strictly personal. Never share it with anyone else, not even a family member or someone who says they’re from your bank or an official body.

Never give your PIN to anyone, either in person or remotely (internet, telephone, etc.). Your PIB is confidential and not even shared with your bank.

If you forget your password, you can find it by looking in your banking app. When typing in your PIN, always shield the code from roving eyes.

When withdrawing cash from an ATM, don’t let strangers distract you, even if they ask for help; they may be trying to steal your money or card by saying the machine has swallowed it.

You can block your card temporarily if you think you have simply misplaced it and will find it again soon.

When using your card to make purchases online:

  • Do not click on links without checking for the padlock symbol or “https” at the beginning of the URL: it is more advisable to type in the website address yourself,
  • Do not follow QR code links to access a shopping site,
  • Do not save your bank details for future transactions,
  • Avoid sharing your bank details by post, email, phone, or text message.
  • Never agree to strong authentication (Secur’Pass) at the request of a third party if you did not initiate the transaction yourself. Once completed, Secur’Pass transactions cannot be canceled.

In the event of loss, theft or any unauthorized use of your card, block it via your banking app, notify your bank, and file a complaint.

Check your accounts at regular intervals to detect any transactions that you have not initiated yourself.

‘Check’ fraud

Although checks are used less often these days, they are still the most common target for fraud whether blank, filled in, lost, or stolen.

In the event of loss or theft, promptly inform your bank and request a stop payment on your checks, making them impossible to cash.

When using a chèque de banque (a cashier’s check or banker’s draft), the check must bear the security watermark “CHEQUE DE BANQUE.” Be alert to any alterations (colors, variations in handwriting or markings that suggest that something has been scratched out) and call the bank for confirmation (don’t use the number provided on the check; it may be the fraudster’s number).

Be careful if the amount written on the check is higher than the amount initially agreed with your buyer; they may ask you to refund the so-called ‘overpayment’ and the check you receive is liable to bounce. Refuse to return this ‘overpayment’ by bank transfer or in cash for any reason whatsoever.

Unless part of a typical transaction, refuse to deposit a check issued by another person into your personal bank account even if you are promised a commission to do so or asked to help someone on social media.

Check your accounts at regular intervals to detect any transactions that you have not initiated yourself.

Fake investment scam

In this type of scam, malicious individuals offer fictitious investments, often accompanied by promises of high returns in a very short time. They may target sectors such as real estate (parking spaces, nursing homes/homes for senior citizens, etc.), renewable energy, gold, diamonds, crypto assets, etc.

The scam usually begins with the perpetrator contacting the victim, often after the victim has left their details on a fraudulent website. Fraudsters may also use Groupe BPCE’s brand names or the identities of our employees to reinforce their claims with fake websites.

To protect yourself against these scams, it is essential never to disclose your personal details without being certain of the legitimacy of the person or entity requesting it. Always check with your bank advisor to ensure that the offer is genuine and comes from one of the Groupe BPCE companies.

It is also important to check the authenticity of investment websites with the help of a few useful sites:

You can also contact AMF Epargne Info Service by telephone on (33) 01 53 45 62 00 (price of a local call) Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Fake advisor scam

These scammers impersonate your bank or other trusted organizations to obtain sensitive information from you and to carry out fraudulent transactions.
The scam begins with you thinking that you are online with your advisor or a technical service. In fact, it’s a scammer who will manipulate you into revealing your online banking access codes or your transaction validation code, or even make transfers to their own account.

Your bank will never ask you for your banking information: your bank ID and access code, credit card number, etc.

Fake courier scam

This is a variation on the fake advisor scam.

The scam begins with the fraudster informing you that your bank card seems to have been compromised by fraud and that a courier will come to collect it. In reality, it’s a scammer who will ask you to give your card’s PIN, or even your online banking access codes, to ‘supposedly’ secure your money.

Your bank will never ask you for your banking information: your bank ID and access code, credit card number, etc.

Fake bank details scam

This scenario chiefly affects businesses but it can also be used to trap other customers. It is also known as a ‘bank account number’ scam.

The scam begins with a supplier/service provider/telephone operator/energy supplier, etc. asking you to change their bank details when you settled their bills by bank transfer; this is typically justified by a change of bank or a technical issue. In fact, the fraudster is claiming there has been a change in order to have your payments directed to their own account. The email sent to you with the new bank details will look similar to those you usually receive from your contact except that it will include the details of the scammer’s bank account.

Always check the accuracy of the request by contacting the person or organization/supplier directly.

Loan fraud

The fraudster offers to buy back your loans at an unbeatable rate of interest. Their aim is to obtain your personal details in order to steal your identity and take out a loan online in your name.

The scam begins with you receiving a loan offer with a very attractive interest rate. No proof of income is required but you have to pay a fee upfront to have the application processed or the loan released. In fact, the scammer’s sole aim is to steal your money by getting you to make a payment to an external account.

Be wary of any offers that seem too good to be true. A credit institution will never ask you to pay to obtain a loan or to have funds released.

Classified ad fraud

The fraudster creates a fake website to post ads, particularly for vacation rentals or property sales.

You think you are paying a deposit to book outstanding accommodation for your next vacation. In another version of this scam, you are asked to send various identity and income documents to reserve an apartment rental. In fact, the property you saw in the ad does not exist or the real owner is unaware of these transactions.

Be wary of incredibly attractive offers, strange behavior on the part of the owner (communication only by email or refusal to meet you in person), requests to send money before signing the lease or to provide official documents before visiting the property.

Emotional fraud

The fraudster uses fake identities and photos on social media and dating sites. Their goal is to build trust in order to create the illusion that you are in a real relationship, thereby encouraging you to lower your guard.

You start by becoming friends with someone you have never met. You think you have formed a real relationship. One day, this person will ask you for financial help. In fact, the scammer will steal your money under the pretext of helping a family member in urgent need of surgery or in order to pay for a trip to join you.

On social media, be wary of strangers; never send money to someone you have never met in person.

CEO fraud (targeting companies)

The fraudster will contact an employee of a company by email or phone, claiming to be that company’s CEO or other high-raking administrative or financial executive. Their aim is to get the employee to carry out a (fake) urgent and/or confidential transaction.

The scam begins with the employee thinking they are talking to the company’s CEO or another high-ranking executive. They will be reassured by the fraudster’s demonstrable familiarity with the company’s organization who will ask them, exceptionally, to disregard internal procedures because of the urgency of the matter. In reality, the scammer will use flattery or threats and will work on the employee’s sense of importance in order to manipulate them more easily, with the aim of getting them to carry out a wire transfer for a confidential transaction.

All employees should be educated about the different fraud scenarios, particularly  those involving information shared on social media. It is essential to systematically confirm any requested transaction by calling back the initiator using regular communication methods. Always seek advice before executing the transaction.