Identity fraud: fraudsters impersonate the ECC
Lately, the European Consumer Centre France and its network ECC-Net have been victims of identity theft. The fraudsters use the ECC’s name and/or logo to trick consumers and extort their money. Don’t fall into this trap! Below you will find a few tips for recognising a fake email or a fraudulent phone call.
- How does this scam work?
- Assumed names to designate the ECC
- How to protect yourself against fraudsters
- What to do if you are a victim
How does this scam work?
You are contacted by phone or email by a person who pretends to represent the Centre Européen des Consommateurs/European Consumer Centre (ECC France) or the network of the European Consumer Centres (ECC-Net). The person offers help to solve an issue or receive a refund. As a counterpart, you are asked to pay, to click on a link or to give your personal or bank details.
For example: you receive a phone call from an unknown number after you just got trapped by a fake bitcoin website. The fraudster offers you to pay him in exchange for a refund of the amount you invested and lost.
This is a scam! Our services are entirely free. We will never ask you to pay for any legal help or information.
Assumed names to designate the ECC
Scammers misuse the name of the European Consumer Centre but are sometimes creative with it. Here are some variations of the fake names used by fraudsters:
- « Département de recouvrement de fonds de CEC » (ECC Funds recovery department)
- « CEC International Partners »
- « Chief Inspector of the European Consumer Rights Centre (ECC-Net) »
None of these names are used by our services. If you are in contact with one of our legal advisors, it will always be in the name of the “Centre Européen des Consommateurs/European Consumer Centre France”. But the mention alone of this name in an email is no guarantee that the email is authentic.
Be careful! Scammers also misuse the name of the Centre Européen de la Consommation to trick consumers.
How to protect yourself against fraudsters
- Beware of unsolicited messages asking you to give personal information, to click on links or to download attachments. Our legal advisors wouldn’t contact you on their own initative. If you didn’t file a complaint on our website, we don’t have any reason to contact you.
- Don’t communicate any personal information by phone, by email or by message if you are unsure of the caller’s legitimacy.
- Don’t give in if the scammer puts pressure on you to make an immediate payment or to respect a deadline in an email.
- Check the identity of the person you are speaking with.
- In case of doubt, contact directly the ECC France by phone at +0049 7851 991 48 0.
What to do if you are victim of fraud?
- Don’t give any more information to the fraudster. Don’t reply to his emails and don’t click on any link.
- Contact us, via our online form or by phone to report the scam.
- File a complaint with the police station.
- If you have given your bank details, stop payment on your cards and monitor your accounts. And if you have been debited, contact your bank advisor as soon as possible to ask for a refund.
More information on this type of scam
Identity fraud
Did you receive a phone call from your bank? Beware! This could be a fraudster attempting to extract money from your bank account without your knowledge.
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.