How a resident of Orne was scammed out of several thousand euros by telephone

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Louise* is still in shock. End of August 2024this resident of Mortagne-au-Perche (Orne) was stolen several thousand euros. The septuagenarian filed a complaint, but knows well that she will never see her money again: a sum greater than 5,000 euros. She tells.

When did you fall victim to this scam?

“Tuesday August 27at 5:56 p.m., I received a first phone call which I did not answer because I was about to leave. Then a second call a minute later, I picked up being surprised to receive two successive calls from the same cell phone number. At the end of the line, a gentle, friendly and even warm man's voice tells me that this is my bank. “Were you in Dunkirk yesterday, someone debited €400 from your account? I have a signal on the screen that tells me this. » After this very friendly welcome, I was not suspicious and I gave him my access codes to regularize the amount of €400 supposedly debited from my bank account. Was I hypnotized? I believe it.

Why did you give your codes? Can banks carry out account-to-account transfers without a code?

I felt in confidence and I provided my codes without any hesitation. However, my children warned me to avoid this type of scam. I think I was manipulated into being put into a daze, like under hypnosis…

Was this debit of €400 real?

No. It was for the fraudstersa way to get my codes…

How much money did they steal from you in this way?

A large sum that I do not want to reveal, but greater than €5,000. I was recommended not to check my account for three days. This is called the waiting period, which is the time it takes for scammers to make the transfer for their benefit.

What was your bank's reaction?

She didn't even notify me of this transfer. I had of course returned to my accounts on my own. I could only note to my great regret that the said sum had indeed been stolen. Since this fraudulent transaction, I have been contacted by my banker for only €300 overdraftbut in no case for the empty my savings account… This is unacceptable. I am subsequently considering turning to another banking organization. I experienced this scam like a rape, a humiliation.

What must be done to prevent this from happening again and becoming widespread?

Be extra vigilant because it seems that the scammers have very well-established techniques and their telephone approaches don't have many similarities. And above all, only answer calls that come from numbers already coded on our cell phones.

*Louise is an assumed first name

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