Scammers continue to operate in France, using multiple strategies and types of scams. The two main categories of scams are misleading sales and blackmail or entrapment scams. According to a note from the National Observatory of Delinquency and Criminal Responses dating from 2020, 75% of scams relate to the purchase of a product or service. Within this category, most scammers today operate through the internet.
Indeed, a classic modus operandi lies in the fact of exploiting platforms for the sale of second-hand objects: half the time, buyers never receive the purchased product. The main categories of products concerned are as follows: consumer goods such as clothing or food, up to 33%, equipment including automobiles, furniture or household appliances, up to 21%. Finally, so-called “cultural” goods, such as shows or concerts, constitute 12% of items subject to fraudulent sales.
If you’ve been scammed, you may not realize it until it’s too late. This is especially true for remote scams. In the case of scams involving face-to-face contact between the scammer and his victim, the latter may become aware of the deception during the exchange. Obviously, it is strongly advised to put an end to it, or even to inform the scammer that he is unmasked to avoid paying the costs.
However, such a situation can be very stressful, anxiety-provoking and even paralyzing. It is then very difficult to defend yourself and many people collaborate with the scammer even though they know full well that they are being had. It is therefore necessary to react as soon as possible, so as not to allow time for the discomfort to set in. To do this, it is very useful to know how to recognize a scam at first glance.
Find below the 5 scams involving direct contact that are rampant at the moment.
