SMS scams: this new scam you need to be on your guard against

To do savings on your energy bill. This is the tempting proposal that some French people have been able to receive by SMS. But it’s abouta scam ! For several weeks, scammers pretending to be a region or a department have been rampant, reports France 3. These fraudulent messages invite consumers to click on a link from which the scammers collect the personal data of their victims in order to extract money from them.

Phishing attempts

Hauts-de-France is one of the regions affected by this phishing techniquecalled “phishing” in English. “The Hauts-de-France region allows you to save more than 70% on your energy consumption”, indicates the SMS. On Twitter, the region of northern France therefore warns against this scam in these complicated times of energy crisis. “Identity theft of the Region #hautsdefrance in progress”can have read on the tweet. “If you receive this text, please do not respond to it, it is false information.”

In Ile-de-France, the department of Val-de-Marne also alert on this “fraudulent use of the name / logo of the Departmental Council”. On the blue bird social network, local authorities urge great caution : “Please note that the Department is not the source of these advertisements.” On its website, the National Commission for Computing and Liberties (CNIL) explains this phenomenon: “Phishing” or phishing consists of the fraudster pretending to be an organization that is familiar to you (bank, tax administration, social security fund, etc.), using its logo and name. You will receive an email in which you are asked to “update” or “confirm following a technical incident” your data, in particular banking.