This old scam resurfaces with an even more devious modus operandi…
We thought we would be rid of it for good, unfortunately no. A scam well known to the authorities for several years, is being talked about again at the moment. Having seen her pass by, you may think you can unmask her yourself or slip through the cracks this time. However, the scam in question, in this new version, has the particularity of targeting a large number of French people, and this, in a very sneaky way. It’s simple, it targets anyone with a Social Security number. And according to our source, this type of phishing should “multiply between now and the Paris Olympics”, she tells us.
If you recently received a text message on your cell phone from Ameli, you are probably concerned by the subject. In this message, the sender pretends to be Health Insurance, via a telephone number 06, to inform you that your Vitale card is expiring and that it must be updated as soon as possible by clicking on a specific link. However, a Vitale card is issued without a validity date and therefore cannot expire. But few people know this, and through this scam, everything is done to make the recipient believe that this is a “real” procedure to be carried out…
According to an expert interviewed, the scheme is very well put together. The SMS is short, the tone is urgent and to top it off, there are no spelling errors. The generated link is also summary and is made up of relevant keywords. After clicking on it, the person is redirected to a page, which perfectly imitates the Ameli site. A stunning detail to say the least which encourages the user to have confidence. He is thus led to fill in his personal and banking information, without knowing that he will then have money stolen.
On social networks, such as Facebook, several Internet users are denouncing an increase in this type of scam. When contacted, the National Health Insurance Fund explained to us that “This type of phishing is common and comes in waves.” Moreover, “generally speaking, cyber security experts predict that online and telephone scam attempts are expected to increase between now and the Paris Olympics,” we are taught.
To avoid being fooled, always remember to check the domain name of the website. We often notice gross errors. If you have communicated certain data, urgently notify your bank to object. Furthermore, if Ameli has to contact you by telephone, she will only do so from these three numbers: 3646, 01 78 85 70 03, for calls from the Sophia service or 01 87 52 00 70, for calls carried out as part of “Go to” operations for vaccination against Covid-19. And remember, Health Insurance will never ask you for your bank details for a renewal or update of your vital card.