Online fraud continues to stalk European consumers… and the French in particular. In fact, according to a Visa study in collaboration with Wakefield Research, 33% of our compatriots admit to having been a victim of bank fraud. This is more than the Spaniards (32%), the Germans (28%), the English (26%) and the Italians (19%), but less than the Americans (41%) and the Indians (52%).
What is questionable is the significant improvement in the techniques used by scammers to inspire consumer confidence. For example, 65% of respondents say they are sensitive to emergency messages from hackers that trick them into clicking a link in an email or SMS. 49% admit to being misled by messages announcing good news, usually in the context of a refund.
Be even more vigilant
Despite frequent recommendations from authorities, the majority of French people do not monitor the details to determine the veracity of a message. 68% of them check spelling, but this point is increasingly being corrected by scammers. 56% remember to check the email address the message came from. In addition, it is highly recommended to hover your mouse over the link to check which website it is pointing to.
Vigilance is required as more and more banks refuse to compensate victims, arguing that they have shown “negligence”. “The development of these techniques, which we call ‘manipulation’, must not lead to a gray area with excessively long repayment periods,” the governor of the Banque de France worried on the subject.