When it comes to banking scams, malicious actors are often very imaginative, and this is once again the case with this “mule fraud”, a relatively unknown technique in France which is starting to claim victims. Explanations
How does it work?
BFM returned to this ploy. The term recalls the phenomenon of mules used by traffickers to transport drugs by swallowing bags of different substances and transporting them safely. Here, the mules in question will rather allow them to launder money.
Concretely, the criminal will send money to a target. He will then contact the latter (often by SMS) and explain to him that he made a mistake during his transfer. He asks the victim to transfer this amount back to him, and that is the whole point of this approach. Indeed, once back in your account, this savings will no longer have the same initial traceability, our colleagues specify.
These scams have affected several individuals in France in recent months. The newspaper West France notably obtained the testimony of Annabelle, aged 50, who received 230 euros via a Paylib transfer. Despite numerous pressures from her interlocutor, she never gave in, following the advice of her bank.
How to avoid the worst?
The big question remains, how to avoid being a victim of these attempts. The Finance for All website recently gave some very good advice that we would like to pass on. You should never give your banking details (not even to your bank). That said, even with caution, some IBAN leaks have been reported recently in France, so the damage may be done.
You should also never click on dubious phishing links. And this, even if they promise you juicy relationships or gifts or alert you to danger. We recently told you about a scam that imitated the identity of Netflix to regain access to the account and banking information.
Also be careful not to trust people you meet on the Internet too much. Of course, certain relationships of trust can be established over time, but, if your interlocutor starts asking you for money or talking to you about investments, it is clearly questionable.
Finally, if in doubt, you can contact your banking institution and the police directly to find out what to do.
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