After the fuel allowance and Crit’Air sticker scams, a new SMS scam is targeting motorists at the moment, encouraging them to pay an unpaid fine. Don’t fall into this crude trap!
Hackers use any pretext to try to steal the personal and banking data of their victims, with the aim of extracting money from them. And the least we can say is that they are not lacking in imagination! Thus, in recent months, many text messages have been sent claiming refused payments on Netflix which would require paying online – otherwise the subscription would be suspended –, but also for parcels which require payment to be delivered. And that’s not counting eSIM card, broken phone, CPF or even Vitale card scams, all with the same objective. Recently, cybercriminals have decided to impersonate certain public services, starting with the National Agency for the Automated Processing of Offenses (Antai), by sending text messages reporting a late payment of a fine, which forces the government to sound the alarm. So be careful if you receive messages like “Info Antai: you have a late payment of 35 euros” or other variations!
SMS scams: unpaid fine, fuel allowance and Crit’Air sticker
As the government explains on the official site of the French administrationhackers pretend to be the Antai via an SMS claiming that the recipient has a “late payment of a fine” followed by a link to a site like “amendes-gouv.org” Or “dossier-antai-gouv.info”. As the Antai reminds us, “any SMS can only be transmitted in the presence of a law enforcement officer” and there is only one site to settle your fines: amendes.gouv.fr.
There are other variations to this scam that are also rampant lately. Thus, the Ministry of the Interior warns of a similar scam about the fuel allowance. The SMS also asks the victim to click on a link in order to claim the little boost of €100 set up by the Government. In reality, cybercriminals are impersonating the Directorate General of Public Finances (DGFIP), which therefore reminds that the only way to obtain this help is to go to the site. impots.gouv.frto complete the form by entering his tax number and that of his license plate and to certify on the honor that one uses his car to go to his place of work.
Finally, you have to be very careful about the Crit’Air sticker scam (or Air quality certificate, its full name), a round sticker indicating the emission rate of the vehicle and which must be displayed on its vehicle to be able to travel in certain regions and agglomerations. Indeed, fake sites copy the official Government site; collect a lot of personal data via a form to fill out and ask their victims to pay for the sticker (see our article).
SMS scam: what to do in case of fraud
Information stolen by cybercriminals is most often sold on the Dark Web, which exposes the victim to future fraud, such as phishing campaigns, targeted attacks and even identity theft. If you are ever the target of an online or SMS scam, immediately forward the message to a specialized reporting platform at 33 700. You can also report these fraudulent messages to the site internet-signalement.gouv.fr. Then, block the sender so you won’t be bothered later.
In the event that you have clicked on the link or transmitted certain personal information, immediately change your password, as well as that of the other accounts where you use it – remember in passing that it is not recommended to use the same for several accounts. And, if you have ever gone so far as to transmit your banking information, call your bank without further delay in order to take the necessary measures, in particular by making an opposition.