Fake recovery assistance: beware of this new email scam

Be careful, here is a scam that you should be wary of. Since last week, fraudsters have been impersonating the European Consumer Center to sell you fake help in recovering so-called lost investments.

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The French office of the European Consumer Center is the victim of identity theft. In a press release addressed to the press, the institution specializing in the protection of consumer rights informs that, for several days, fraudsters are illegally using its name and logo to mislead the public.

How does this scam work? Fraudsters contact victims by email, or even by telephone, and offer them paid services to recover an amount allegedly invested in bitcoins on a site presented as fraudulent. Then, they email victims an attachment containing a fake letter that they claim to have sent to the investment site in their name, posing as CEC France.

In its press release, the institution specifies that it has not “no link with these fraud attempts and strongly denounces these practices”. “We do not have a ‘funds recovery department'”, also writes Bianca Schulz, head of the European Consumer Center France. Below is an example of these fraudulent emails.

© European Consumer Center France

– Example of email sent by fraudsters.

How to avoid falling into the trap?

The CEC France, which has announced that it is filing a complaint, recalls the actions to adopt to protect yourself against this type of scam. Among the recommended precautions, it is advisable to never transmit personal information nor make payments without verifying the legitimacy of the call or email received. It is also prudent to be wary of messages encouraging people to click on links or download attachments.

As Bianca Schulz points out in the press release, the “consumer information and advice services (from CEC France) are free and accessible via (the) website Europe-consommateurs.eu.” It is also possible to contact the CEC by telephone on 0820 200 999, but be careful, the call is charged at 0.12 cents per minute.