Credit Agricole cares about payment security and shares information about common financial fraud schemes

As a socially responsible business, Credit Agricole strives to prevent cases of financial fraud by improving the financial literacy of Ukrainians. Here we are telling you about the common schemes employed by scammers and remind you the basic safety rules for cashless payments.

Fraud scheme using social networks 

Con artists gain access to their victim’s page on social media or messengers. Posing as their victim, scammers send messages to all people on their victim’s contacts list asking to borrow money with the promise of prompt repayment.

Should you receive such request via social media, messengers, SMS or e-mail, do not rush to send the money at once. We recommend you contact the person who wrote you via a different channel so that you can hear their voice and make sure that the information you received earlier is correct.

OLX platform scams when you are the seller of goods

Scheme #1 Secure payment fake:

When registering on the OLX site and connecting the OLX delivery service, you will be asked to enter you bank card number which will be used to credit funds in case of a successful sale.

If a buyer is attempting to continue communication via third-party messengers outside the OLX and sends you a link to sites under the pretense of crediting the money, where you will be asked to enter your card number, validity term, CVV code or a code sent in an SMS, beware – you are dealing with a fraudster.

If you sell goods on the OLX, only use the OLX delivery service.

Scheme #2 Falsified payment receipt 

If you sell goods via the OLX site without using the OLX delivery service, but instead give buyers your card number for crediting of funds, you must remember that they can be con artists who will falsify the receipt screenshot.

If the buyer shows you the copy of the receipt, but you have not received money in your account, whereas the “buyer” assures you that the funds take a long time to be credited to your account and will definitely arrive later, while suggesting you call the customer support center at the number listed in the receipt (which is the fraudster’s number, most likely), beware – you may be dealing with a fraudster.

Do not send the product unless the money is credited to your account.

OLX platform scam when you are the buyer

Scheme #1 Secure payment fake:

You would like to make a secure purchase but the seller says that they are having issues with OLX delivery service, that is why they cannot get paid directly through the OLX website. The seller suggests communication via third-party messengers and asks to complete a transaction via the provided link (on the surface, it looks nearly identical to the OLX site electronic address). To purchase goods from the site, you will be required to enter your personal data and the payment card details (card number, validity period, CVV code). If you do it, you will send all your confidential data to a fraudster, which they will then use to steal money from your account.

Do not use third-party sites and messengers, sent to you by the seller, communicate via the OLX chat exclusively and only use the OLX Delivery service. If a seller sends you a link to the site that requires you to enter the card number, validity period, CVV code or SMS code, beware – this is a scammer.

Scheme #2. They demand an advance payment:

On ad list services, there may be accounts posing as brands of real stores that mislead people to believe that they sell goods both through the official websites and OLX. Scammers can also sell goods on behalf of the stores without an official website. Such sellers demand an advance payment, promise to send good after that and never do.

Always check the internet shop, its feedback and phones on the internet through search (there are special sites collecting scammers’ phone numbers).

Aid to pseudo-volunteers for the Armed Forces of Ukraine

In the wartime, Ukrainians eagerly respond to calls for the collection of funds to help the AFU. These can be requests of funds for clothes, ammo, first aid kits, drones for the military, etc. At the same time, there are many scam messages on social media that use this scheme to unlawfully get ahold of your money. We advise you to trust only the verified charity funds and organizations or volunteer movements that have been tried and tested by your friends and loved ones. 

Payments towards war relief from the local authorities, UNICEF, the UN and other international organizations 

During the war, international foundations often allocate financial aid to those affected by the war, in particular, to the temporarily displaced persons. Lion’s share of the payments is officially registered via Diia application. However, scammers may pose as charitable organizations or well-known Ukrainian banks. They send payment offers via messengers and list scam website where the victim is asked to enter bank card details, logins and passwords for internet banking. Then fraudsters steal funds from the account. That is why one should be wary of such messages. Only use information from the official state authorities in regards to social benefits for people affected by the war, which is posted on the official web sites with gov.ua domain address.

Should you encounter the potential instances of fraud, we kindly ask you to notify the bank’s contact center (0 800 305555)