Motorists in France warned over Crit'Air car sticker scam
If you're driving in France and plan to go through a city, a Crit'Air sticker is essential - but beware of a new phone scam tricking drivers into buying fake stickers.
People have received emails and text messages reminding them to buy a sticker with the official sounding phrase: "Our agents have noticed that you do not have the regulatory sticker."
When they click on the link in the message, they are then taken to a fake website that asks for their registration number and credit card information.
📣 [ APPEL A TÉMOIGNAGE ]
Vous avez été victime d'une arnaque à la vignette Crit’Air en Île-de-France ?
🎥 Venez témoigner à l’antenne de @BFMParis
📧 Contact : [email protected] pic.twitter.com/t5NEZKRIIM
— BFM Paris Île-de-France (@BFMParis) October 10, 2022
Many consumers have been tricked, as low-emissions zones that require Crit'Air stickers have recently expanded across France, so more trips require the sticker.
The Crit'Air system was introduced in 2017 and assigns a number to each vehicle based on how much they pollute. It is aimed at reducing emissions in towns and cities, especially those prone to spikes in air-pollution such as Paris.
READ MORE: Driving in France: How France’s Crit’Air vehicle sticker system is taking over the country
However the only place to buy the stickers is on the official government website, and the Ministry does not send email or SMS reminders.
The head of the National Association for Consumers in France, François Carlier, gave some advice for consumers on RTL on Monday.
Carlier said that "Overall, all commercial solicitations asking for personal data via email should not be followed." He added that consumers should not give any personal information and certainly not bank details when prompted by an e-mail or SMS.
"The professionals - telecom operators, energy providers, etc, do not ask for anything [in this way]. Instead, they ask you to approach customer service."
"The only people who ask for banking information by email are scammers, and we must avoid answering them."
READ MORE: MAP: Which French cities have vehicle bans or restrictions?
The official website for Crit'Air has begun showing prevention messages so that consumers can be aware of the scam. The government platform reminds users that: "The official website Crit'Air of the Ministry does not send SMS messages to users to buy stickers."
The only location to buy the stickers is on the official government website, and that the government body does not use intermediaries to sell the stickers.
The scam follows many others that use the name of genuine institutions in order to trick people into giving out their details - some of the most common include messages telling people to renew their carte vitale health card, offering them training via the CFP workplace training scheme or telling them they owe taxes on a parcel or letter.
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People have received emails and text messages reminding them to buy a sticker with the official sounding phrase: "Our agents have noticed that you do not have the regulatory sticker."
When they click on the link in the message, they are then taken to a fake website that asks for their registration number and credit card information.
📣 [ APPEL A TÉMOIGNAGE ]
— BFM Paris Île-de-France (@BFMParis) October 10, 2022
Vous avez été victime d'une arnaque à la vignette Crit’Air en Île-de-France ?
🎥 Venez témoigner à l’antenne de @BFMParis
📧 Contact : [email protected] pic.twitter.com/t5NEZKRIIM
Many consumers have been tricked, as low-emissions zones that require Crit'Air stickers have recently expanded across France, so more trips require the sticker.
The Crit'Air system was introduced in 2017 and assigns a number to each vehicle based on how much they pollute. It is aimed at reducing emissions in towns and cities, especially those prone to spikes in air-pollution such as Paris.
READ MORE: Driving in France: How France’s Crit’Air vehicle sticker system is taking over the country
However the only place to buy the stickers is on the official government website, and the Ministry does not send email or SMS reminders.
The head of the National Association for Consumers in France, François Carlier, gave some advice for consumers on RTL on Monday.
Carlier said that "Overall, all commercial solicitations asking for personal data via email should not be followed." He added that consumers should not give any personal information and certainly not bank details when prompted by an e-mail or SMS.
"The professionals - telecom operators, energy providers, etc, do not ask for anything [in this way]. Instead, they ask you to approach customer service."
"The only people who ask for banking information by email are scammers, and we must avoid answering them."
READ MORE: MAP: Which French cities have vehicle bans or restrictions?
The official website for Crit'Air has begun showing prevention messages so that consumers can be aware of the scam. The government platform reminds users that: "The official website Crit'Air of the Ministry does not send SMS messages to users to buy stickers."
The only location to buy the stickers is on the official government website, and that the government body does not use intermediaries to sell the stickers.
The scam follows many others that use the name of genuine institutions in order to trick people into giving out their details - some of the most common include messages telling people to renew their carte vitale health card, offering them training via the CFP workplace training scheme or telling them they owe taxes on a parcel or letter.
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