Payment method fraud: French people are more vigilant, but the risk remains high

The French Ministry of the Economy, Finance and Industry, the Banque de France, the French Banking Federation (FBF) and the Observatory for the Security of Means of Payment (OSMP) are once again calling on the French public to be vigilant in the face of attempted payment fraud. An extensive awareness-raising campaign is being launched this weekend.

Increased vigilance, but the risk remains

According to the latest figures published by the OSMP, manipulation fraud (fraud on card payments with strong authentication and fraudulent online banking transfers) fell slightly in H1 2024 (-2% in amount compared to H1 2023 to €179 million). These are encouraging figures, but vigilance remains essential to contend with scams by fake advisers or financial sites and new threats related to generative artificial intelligence.

To better understand these changes, the FBF published the results of its survey conducted with Harris Interactive on the French public’s perceptions and behaviour in terms of security. Although exposure remains high, the proportion of French people reporting that they have been victims of a scam attempt decreased for the first time. This edition highlights increasingly cautious behaviour in the face of fraud, particularly among seniors: 54% of French people say they have already been the victim of a bank data scam attempt (-3 pts vs. 2024) and 1 in 10 say they have been the victim of an actual scam. See the other figures in the survey at the end of the press release.

A new pre-summer prevention campaign

The Ministry of the Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, the Banque de France, the French Banking Federation (FBF) and the Observatory for the Security of Means of Payment (OSMP) are launching a new national campaign to raise awareness among the French public of the most frequent scams and remind them of good habits to adopt. The campaign includes spots on major national radio stations, advertisements in the daily press, and digital broadcasts.

“Codes, passwords and bank login details:

NEVER GIVE OUT THIS INFORMATION”

A few key reminders:

– Your bank advisor will never ask you for a code, password or username; they don’t need it.  – The Banque de France will never ask you to disclose bank account details or personal information, or ask you to approve or cancel a transaction. – The tax authorities will never send you emails directing you to online forms to obtain a refund without logging into a password-protected account. – The Directorate General of Public Finance (DGFiP) never sends text messages about unpaid fines…

APPENDIX

“French people and cybersecurity – Wave 4 – 2025” – Survey by Toluna Harris Interactive for the French Banking Federation

Banking data is perceived as the most sensitive

In 2025, 91% of French people consider their banking data to be sensitive (username, password, bank account details, IBAN, bank card number), a figure that has been growing steadily since 2023. This is the most sensitive category of personal data, far ahead of identity, contact or location data.

At the same time, fears about fraud remain high. 85% of French people fear that their bank data will be hacked, and 81% fear online or social media scams. These levels of concern are stable compared to 2024.

Artificial intelligence is also creating mixed perceptions: 85% believe it could encourage more sophisticated scams, but 62% also believe it can help strengthen detection and protection tools.

Security best practices are in place

People are adopting the right habits: 88% of French people ignore calls of unknown or unexpected origin, 77% use a unique password just for their bank account, and 61% change it regularly. 7 in 10 French people activate two-factor authentication, and 73% verify that the websites they visit are secure.

However, some risky behaviours persist: 39% of French people save their usernames and passwords on their bank’s website or app, and nearly 3 in 10 (28%) save their banking data on merchant websites.

Awareness of scams is growing

Awareness of the most common scams continues to grow: nearly 9 out of 10 French people know what phishing is, i.e. when a fraudster contacts you by email or text message claiming to be an official organisation, 88% of French people are aware of fake bank advisor scams, 84% are aware of romance scams, 80% are aware of computer ransom scams, and 76% of loan scams.

In the event of a scam, reflexes are improving. One-third of victims contact their bank first (32%), 28% immediately dispute the transaction, and 18% file a complaint, up 7 points from the previous year.

FOCUS – French people aged 60 and over: Still targets, but more aware and better protected

Among French people aged 60 and over, 44% said they had been targeted by a bank data scam attempt, 10 points below the national average. They are also less likely to report having actually been victims (9% vs. 11% for the entire population). However, they feel particularly exposed: 82% think their generation is more widely targeted by scams, and 47% think they are less able to protect themselves than young people. However, their behaviour demonstrates enhanced vigilance: •   93% of over-60s often ignore suspicious calls (+5 points compared to the general population), and 82% ignore them very often. •   81% use complex passwords (+4 points), and 41% do so very often. •   79% often consult their bank’s security messages (vs. 73% of French people), and 37% do so very often. •   Only 14% of over-60s often save their banking data on websites (vs. 28% of French people). When they suspect they have received a dubious request, senior citizens do not hesitate to act: 81% of over-60s contact their bank, compared with 66% for all French people.

About the French Banking Federation:

The French Banking Federation (FBF) is the professional organisation representing all banks established in France. It has 326 member banking companies, including 116 foreign banks. It is the voice of the profession on all major issues, particularly regulatory matters. Based in Paris, the FBF also has an office in Brussels. It is also present throughout France through a network of 101 regional and departmental committees.

About the Banque de France:

As an independent institution, the Banque de France has three main missions: monetary strategy, financial stability and services to the economy. It contributes to defining eurozone monetary policy and implements it in France, supervises banks and insurance companies and oversees risk management, as well as offering a wide range of services to businesses and individuals.

About the Observatory for the Security of Means of Payment:

Created in 2016, the Observatory for the Security of Means of Payment (OSMP – Observatoire de la Sécurité des Moyens de Paiement) is a body intended to promote the exchange of information and consultation between all parties (consumers, merchants and companies, public authorities and administrations, banks and managers of means of payment) involved in the proper functioning of means of payment and the fight against fraud. Its mission is to monitor the security measures adopted by payment market players and their customers, to establish aggregated fraud statistics and to ensure technological monitoring of means of payment.