1 in 10 Consumers in France Are Targeted By Scammers; Fraud Losses of $5.9 Billion Take Victims on an Emotional Rollercoaster, says GASA

The 2024 Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) report on the state of scams in France highlights some alarming trends: more frequent and sophisticated scams target individuals, with losses reaching $5.9 billion. From text message scams to identity theft, fraud is evolving rapidly, leaving a trail of financial loss and emotional harm.

While GASA’s report highlights a sharp decrease in the average scam loss per individual, 79% of surveyed consumers in France say they encounter scams at least once per month.

Despite awareness campaigns, the persistence of scams, particularly those targeting online shopping and identity theft, shows that fraudsters’ methods are rapidly evolving. Scammers are finding ways to bypass traditional security measures, often preying on the less tech-savvy or emotionally vulnerable.

About 35% of people surveyed say they were scammed in a matter of minutes, suggesting that fraudsters use sophisticated and well-timed methods to deceive victims, and exploit a victim’s lack of preparedness.

How Scams Are Delivered: Text/SMS and Emails Lead the Way

Text messages (SMS) and emails have become the dominant scam delivery methods, with a 19% increase in SMS scams since the 2023 report. The report shows that over 60% of respondents suffered scam attempts via these channels, while phone calls and instant messaging apps also represented significant mediums for fraudulent activities.

The growing reliance on mobile phones for personal and business communications has opened up new vulnerabilities. Fraudsters target victims directly through platforms they trust—often using social engineering techniques to extract sensitive information or money.

You can read more about the prevalence of SMS/text scams in these dedicated articles:

Investigating Worldwide SMS Scams, and Tens of Millions of Dollars in Fraud

SMS Scams Run Rampant yet Consumers Still Rely on Phones for Sensitive Transactions

Text Trap: Unmasking the Hidden Dangers of Text/SMS Scams and How to Stay Safe

Top Platforms Used by Scammers: Gmail and Facebook Dominate

The report also shows that Gmail and Facebook remain fraudsters’ preferred platforms. With nearly 50% of respondents identifying Gmail as the main channel through which they were contacted by scammers, it is clear that email remains a major point of vulnerability. Facebook and Instagram also featured prominently in scam-related activities, reflecting the growing danger of social media fraud.

Read more about social media and email scams in these dedicated articles:

Beware of these common Facebook scams before they get you

5 Instagram scams exposed. How to protect yourself

Email Scams: How to Spot, Avoid and Report Them

The rise of fraudulent schemes on these platforms calls for stronger platform-based defenses and user education to reduce scam-related risks. Despite efforts by Facebook to curb fraud, GASA’s findings suggest that more needs to be done to ensure these platforms are safe for their users.

A Concerning Trend: Underreporting of Scams

Despite the sharp increase in scam encounters, 74% of French victims did not report their experiences to law enforcement - a 9% decrease from the previous year. Many victims fail to report fraud due to embarrassment, fear of not being taken seriously, or the belief that reporting will not result in justice. This underreporting presents significant challenges for law enforcement agencies, who rely on public cooperation to investigate and stop scam operations.

The lack of formal reporting hampers efforts to combat scams and gives scammers an environment where they can thrive with very limited repercussions.

Scams and AI

Although the vast majority of French consumers are highly aware of the malicious uses of AI to enhance scams via generated text, images, and deep fakes, 45% of users were uncertain if AI was used to scam them.

Read more about AI-enabled scams here: AI Scams: How Cybercriminals Use AI to Defraud Digital Citizens and How to Stay Safe

Shopping Scams: The Most Common Fraud in France

Shopping scams were the most common type of fraud in France. With the boom in e-commerce, scammers have found new ways to exploit online shoppers. Fake online stores, counterfeit products, and non-delivery scams have become all too common, often inflicting significant financial losses on victims.

GASA’s findings show that 5% more people were able to avoid the top scams in 2024 compared to 2023, but the threat remains substantial. Fraudsters often create well-designed websites that look like legitimate stores, tricking consumers into making purchases that never arrive.

Other prevalent scams include identity theft, fake invoices or debt collection scams, and extortion attempts. Many French citizens have been tricked into sharing sensitive information with scammers, leading to devastating financial consequences.

Financial Losses and the Struggle to Recover

One of the most sobering statistics from the GASA report is that only 16% of victims were able to fully recover their financial losses. Many victims either did not recover any of their money or only managed to reclaim a small portion of it. This highlights the long-term financial damage scams can cause, and the limited options available to victims for compensation.

With only 22% of victims attempting to recover their funds, there is a clear need for more robust recovery mechanisms and support for victims, particularly from banks and other financial institutions. Victims often find themselves in the long, complex process of trying to get their money back, with varying degrees of success.

The Emotional Impact of Scams: Beyond Financial Loss

While the financial costs of scams can be devastating, the emotional toll on victims is equally significant. The report found that 46% of victims suffered a serious emotional impact from their encounter, though this was a 7% decrease from the previous year. Many victims report feelings of shame, guilt, and embarrassment, often leaving them reluctant to talk about their experiences.

The psychological effects of scams can be long-lasting, particularly for the elderly or those targeted by emotionally manipulative fraudsters in romance scams. Support services that help victims cope with these emotional after-effects are crucial in the broader fight against fraud.

How Victims Are Reporting Scams

Despite underreporting to law enforcement, most scam victims share their experiences with people they trust, primarily at banks and family and friends. Banks, consumer protection agencies, and local police are the most frequently used formal channels for reporting scams. However, many victims prefer to turn to their personal networks for advice and support.

What Can Be Done?

As scams continue to rise across the globe, it’s clear that a coordinated effort is needed to tackle the problem through:

1. Public awareness campaigns: Education is the first line of defense. More campaigns are needed to raise awareness of the types of scams circulating and how to recognize them.
2. Strengthening existing reporting systems: Victims need a streamlined, accessible way to report scams. Law enforcement and consumer protection agencies should work together to make reporting more straightforward and encourage victims to come forward.
3. Stronger platform protections: Social media platforms, email providers, and messaging apps need to invest in stronger protections against fraud. Companies should actively monitor and remove fraudulent accounts and educate users about safe online practices.
4. Improved financial recovery mechanisms: Banks and financial institutions must develop better mechanisms to help victims recover their funds and hold scammers accountable.

Bitdefender plays a pivotal role in protecting individuals from falling victim to the most sophisticated scams and fraudulent online activity. As a proud member of the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA), Bitdefender collaborates with other global leaders to combat scams by leveraging cutting-edge cybersecurity technologies. Our mission aligns with GASA’s vision to reduce the global impact of fraud and safeguard the digital lives of consumers worldwide.

Bitdefender has introduced multiple layers of protection designed to detect and prevent scam attempts in real-time on various channels, including:

- Web Protection to help you secure your browsing activity and ensure you don’t fall on fraudulent websites and platforms

- Email Protection to guard your inbox against phishing attempts

- Scam Alert to tackle scams targeting mobile devices through real-time monitoring of fraudulent SMS, chats, and notifications

- Scamio, our AI-powered on-demand scam detector that uses innovative threat-detection algorithms and machine learning to identity scams. You can access Scamio on any device or operating system via web browser, Facebook Messenger, or WhatsApp. The scam detection tool is free to use and offers a user-friendly interface where users can check if any suspicious correspondence they have received is a scam attempt, or they can describe a conversation or scenario to receive a verdict in seconds. You can also help others stay safe by sharing Scamio with them in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Romania, Australia, and the UK