French banking authority warns on fake bank websites
Fake online banking sites are becoming more common, a French authority has said, with the public warned to be alert to scams and fake URLs.
Fake online banking or money saving sites may have URLs or page designs that appear official or normal, but are in fact often portals to scams and fraud, independent banking authority l鈥橝utorit茅 de Contr么le Prudentiel et de R茅solution (ACPR).
These sites may ask you to put in your personal banking details and data, which they may later use to defraud you.
The ACPR has a 鈥渂lack list鈥� of addresses that may appear similar to other French online sites - although it should not be considered an exhaustive list.
The authority advises online banking users to check the URL and appearance of any banking or savings websites carefully before entering any personal details.
Users can also check that the website being used appears on the register of agreed financial agents on the , which manages this list (Organisme charg茅 de tenir le Registre des Interm茅diaires en Assurance ou en banque).
Anyone who believes they have been a victim of fraud, can report it to the Republic prosecutor (鈥�procureur de la R茅publique鈥� in French), by sending a letting to the local high court (鈥�tribunal de grande instance鈥�; TGI).
Victims can also contact the fraud office la DGCCRF (Direction D茅partementale de Concurrence, de la Consommation et de la R茅pression des Fraudes) on the phone number 39 39; call Info Escroquerie on 08 11 02 02 17, or on the website of the interior minister.
