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Online fraud

A woman looks at T-shirts at a market stall.

Counterfeiting

You buy a product on a site much cheaper than the official site, the product has rough finishes, and the seller is unreachable. You are then a victim of counterfeiting.

View from the top of a building with windows and balconies.

Renting an Apartment

An unbelievably-priced apartment in a European capital has popped up in your search for a place to live.

A person's hand holds out car keys.

Purchasing a car

You’re looking for a car to buy on a classified advertisements website, and you stumble upon a great offer.

A man in a shirt is looking at a web page on his laptop.

False Administrative Websites

You signed up for a foreign website which will complete administrative procedures for you, but soon after you realise that the French administration offers these services for free.

Colourful dresses exhibited on a market stall.

Clothing

Have you just seen your favorite clothing brand being sold online at an unbelievable price? Beware of this bargain!

A computer and a tablet with the screen on on a desk.

High-tech

Video game consoles, tablets, smartphones, flat screen TVs, digital photo displays… at cheap prices? Beware of this so-called bargain!

Close-up on a spider web in nature.

Subscription traps

You happen to come across an advertisement praising the effects of a beauty product, or offering you a free sample of a weight-loss pill, or offering a smartphone for only €1. Be careful!

A person is in front of his computer, on an e-commerce site, holding a credit card without in hand.

Phishing

You’ve received an official-looking email asking for your bank information. Do not fall into the trap !

A piggy bank is open and many coins are spread all around.

Fake donors

Just like Santa Claus, generous companies who contact you offering products without you having ever asked for or purchased anything from them don’t exist!

A man sitting with his laptop in his lap is holding his head with his hand.

PC virus

Ransomware, USB key found, WiFi network trapped, clickable link, infected attachments... Cyber crooks have no shortage of imagination when it comes to infecting your devices and stealing your information or blocking your access to it.

A laptop is opened with the Google homepage.

Internet hacking

Advertising messages asking for financial aid are sent from your email address or posted on a social network via your profile. You are a victim of hacking!

Close-up on several credit cards.

Credit/debit card fraud

You notice on your bank account that there are several payments to a foreign business that you did not make. Your credit/debit card information has been stolen.

A smartphone is placed next to a vintage phone with pink wire.

Missed calls

You missed a call or an SMS from an unknown number, and so you decide to contact it back.

Various symbols are represented by objects: real estate, finance, bank, economy, mortgage, credit, investment ...

Investment offers

You come across an offer for credit or a bank investment, but it was fraudulent.

A mother and her child play together.

Inheritance

You receive a sudden email that says you are the inheritor of a wealthy foreign individual, or that you have somehow won a Spanish lottery, etc.

Screen with stock charts.

Virtual money investments

You have invested money in a crypto-currency, but when you ask to get money back from your investment your financial advisor does not respond to you. You are a victim of an investment fraud!

View of a workspace with a laptop, an agenda, a mug.

Business directory

You have signed up to be included in a professional directory and a company asks you for money – welcome to the trap of business directories!

Couple holding hands lovingly at a restaurant table.

In search of love on the internet

Fraudsters create fake profiles on online dating or meet-up websites to extort money from unknowing victims.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Innovation Council and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Executive Agency (EISMEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

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