Private individuals are not the only targets of attempted scams. In fact, a number of fraudulent practices also affect businesses, which need to be vigilant. Here's an overview of the main scams targeting professionals, and the tools available to protect against them.
False transfer order scams
False bank transfer order fraud is a serious problem for any company, whatever its size or sector of activity. Carried out by telephone or e-mail, the fraudsters contact an employee in the company's accounting or treasury department, pretending to be from the Direction Générale des Finances Publiques (DGFIP). After gaining the trust of the caller, the scammer asks for an unscheduled international transfer to be carried out quickly and confidentially. The employee, who has received the account details to be credited, simply has to carry out the transfer.
The sums extorted are often substantial, and can weaken the financial health of the victimized company. To guard against this type of scam, it's a good idea to contact your usual contact to find out if he or she is behind the transaction, and to check that internal procedures for transfers exist and are applied.
RIB or false direct debit scams
The RIB or direct debit scam is on the rise. Particularly easy to carry out, the perpetrator or perpetrators contact the authorizing officer and the accountant in order to have sums requested by the tax department or a supplier transferred to them as a matter of urgency. To achieve their ends, fraudsters create false e-mail addresses and invoices on supplier letterheads, and attach a bank account number (RIB).
Companies can protect themselves against this scam by raising awareness among all the departments concerned (purchasing, finance and accounting departments, secretariat and switchboard, etc.), by introducing additional verification procedures for international payments, and by circulating alerts sent by suppliers who have already been the target of a scam to all those involved in the expense processing chain.
Attempted scams by bogus official bodies
In recent times, several companies have been contacted by telephone by individuals claiming to be CNIL agents, and claiming to be required to send them certain documents. The purpose of these fraudulent calls is to gather information about the organizations in preparation for a future scam. If in doubt, contact the CNIL on 01 53 73 22 22.
On several occasions, the French advertising regulator (ARPP) has also alerted craftsmen and SME entrepreneurs to the criminal activities of bogus agents pretending to act on their behalf, generally with a view to handing over documents, insertion orders or contracts of all kinds. In the event of a visit or call from these people, the authority advises them to alert their trade associations.
Last but not least, companies can also fall victim to scams perpetrated by bogus investors, who charge a bogus insurance premium in advance. In this situation, it is essential to verify the identity of investors before providing bank details.