The process is incredibly simple and effective. For several years, a scam has affected professionals and individuals with recurring episodes as the summer holidays approach. In fact, it is the peak season of the year in terms of seasonal rentals. And it is precisely in the context of this type of transaction that the so-called “transfer” scam occurs. According to figures from the Ministry of the Interior, no less than 300 complaints have been filed for these events since April with damages that can amount to several tens of thousands of euros, RTL pointed out.
To do this, the scammer intercepts an email between the two parties in which the owner of the rental property sends his identifying bank statement (RIB) to the tenant so that he can make the payment. Beforehand, the scammer has often managed to hack into the recipient’s mailbox and deletes the message from the inbox before sending a new one that is perfectly identical… with the exception of the RIB which now includes their IBAN. The tenant sees nothing but fire and makes the transfer to the thief’s bank account.
A crucial 24-hour delay
This scam is especially damaging because the victims, both tenant and landlord, may take time to notice. Generally, they discover the deception when the owner of the rented property reminds the tenant, without having yet received the transfer.
However, if the transfer was made more than 24 hours ago at that time, it is impossible to initiate a recovery of funds procedure with the banking establishment. As its name suggests, this procedure consists of recovering the amount stolen fraudulently, but for this two conditions must be met: the amounts must continue to be available in the beneficiary’s account and the banks of the victim and the scammer must be part of account. Single Euro Payments Area, also known as SEPA.
It’s better to prevent than to cure
Therefore, it is very difficult to recover the amount defrauded in the case of a transfer scam. However, there are some tricks to limit the risk of exposure to this scam. In the first place, it is advisable to avoid communicating bank details by email and rather favor face-to-face or, in any case, oral exchange. If this is not possible, it is necessary to check the e-mail address of the interlocutor, as well as the name of his bank. Finally, it is better to keep in constant contact with the owner and ask for confirmation of the payment of the sum to your account upon receipt.
If the damage has already been done, then you need to gather as much evidence as possible that shows it is a scam. Similarly, do not hesitate to enter the legal field as quickly as possible by filing a complaint, a copy of which is sent to the victim’s bank branch.
Source: BFM TV
