Crdit Mutuel warns against a new type of scam, featuring fake real estate loans. By pretending to be bankers, the scammers seek to steal the contribution of borrowers.
This is a new scam that can make life savings disappear. For several weeks, agrefins have been rife thanks to a mortgage scam. The goal: recover the amount of the contribution from the borrowers by dangling the prospect of obtaining a mortgage.
This is the misadventure experienced by a couple of borrowers, Tifenn and Kevin. On social networks, the two borrowers say they are looking for a loan to buy a farm. After having used an online comparator, which will turn out to be the first stone of a well-crafted scam, the couple is contacted by a person presenting himself as a real estate credit advisor at Boursorama As with any credit file, the then asks them to transmit a certain number of documents, including their identity documents. A few days later, Tifenn and Kvin are offered a credit offer.
Contributions that vanish
Once the offer is accepted, the fake advisor announces that the transfer of the personal contribution, in the amount of 50,000 euros, must be made on a bank account created for the purchase of the house, this money then being intended for the notary. This is where the trap closes, since once the transfer is made, the sum will ultimately never arrive at the notary.
From the Parisianwhich relays the information, the French Banking Federation (FBF) recalls that if checks to ensure the solvency of the borrower are indeed carried out by the bank before the granting of credit, the establishment will never ask to transfer the funds before the validation of the file. Similarly, the amount of the contribution is almost always sent directly to an account of the notarial office and not to the bank.
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On his website, Crédit Mutuel warns of this type of scam and publishes two tips for borrowers: check the offer by making a counter-call to the bank and use the telephone number using a search engine. In the event of a scam, borrowers must obviously file a complaint, then ask their bank to request a return of funds. Without guarantee, unfortunately, to obtain the return of the funds.