There is nothing miraculous about them, except that they are multiplying at great speed. In a note published on October 24, the Prudential Control and Resolution Authority (ACPR) warns individuals against numerous websites that display wonderful promises: investments with incredible returns, real estate loans at ridiculous rates, or even futuristic investment solutions. In the third quarter alone, the banking and insurance watchdog added 218 sites or emails to its blacklist, which lists fraudulent operators or operators operating in France without authorization.
To add to the confusion, “73% (of these new registrations) usurp the identity of an establishment or financial intermediary duly authorized to market such products, in France or in another country of the European Economic Area”notes the Authority. This is the case, for example, of this site which imitates the login page of the crypto platform – well authorized – Bitpanda. Or even these numerous email addresses which can easily sow confusion thanks to a reassuring domain name: @banque-de-france.online, @amf-france.org or even @credit-fortuneo.fr.
Increasingly sophisticated fraudulent sites
Among the newly spotted sites, there is no shortage of precautions taken to fool visitors. Some layouts are particularly slick and detailed, with fake customer reviews, or functional simulation calculators. A fraudulent platform offering to invest in cryptocurrencies even warns users about the risks, as an authorized intermediary would do: “Bitcoin remains the benchmark cryptocurrency. However, its high volatility reserves substantial gains for investors willing to accept significant risks.”
Also, before you start, and to verify that an actor is indeed authorized to practice, the ACPR invites you to consult its white lists, namely “the register of financial agents – REGAFI, the register of insurance organizations – REFASSU and the ORIAS website, an organization responsible for keeping the register of intermediaries in insurance, banking or crowdfunding”. Consulting the blacklist is indeed not enough, because new sites appear constantly, making it “just because a site is not listed does not mean that it is authorized to offer banking or insurance products in France”recalls the ACPR.
