1. Phishing
The phishing scam is still the most common. Cybercriminals send e-mails or SMS imitating legitimate businesses to obtain personal or banking information.
A common example: messages stating that your account has been compromised and requesting immediate action.
👉 How to protect yourself: Never click on suspicious links. Check directly with the company via its official channels.
2. Fake technical support scam
Victims receive a message indicating that their device is infected, prompting them to contact a bogus support team. The latter then demands payment to “fix” the problem.
👉 Prevention: Ignore these alerts and contact verified support services
3. Fraud on classified ad platforms
Websites selling products between individuals, such as Leboncoin, are playgrounds for crooks who ask for advances or spoof advertisements. Read our article explaining how to spot scams on Leboncoin.
👉 Tip: Never pay before you've seen the product or met the seller.
4. Artificial intelligence scams
In 2024, AI is used to create deepfakes and personalised messages, making the scams more credible. For example, fake videos to extract money.
👉 Tip: Beware of offers that are too good to be true and beware of videos without a reliable source
5. Cryptocurrency scams
Fake investment platforms promising exceptional returns continue to wreak havoc, targeting novice investors in particular.
👉 Protection: Always check the platform's legitimacy before investing, and give preference to reputable institutions.
6. Account hacking
Cybercriminals gain access to accounts via weak or reused passwords. These attacks are amplified by the lack of two-factor authentication.
👉 Solution: Use unique passwords and activate dual authentication for all your important accounts.
To conclude the article on the most impactful online scams in 2024, it's important to point out that the number of victims continues to grow in France. In 2024, an estimated 3 million French people will have been affected by cyberattacks and online scams, including phishing, data theft and identity theft.
These alarming figures show the crucial importance of protecting yourself and choosing reliable tools such as SaferBuy, which helps to identify legitimate sellers and strengthen transaction security. Protecting consumers also means encouraging more ethical and transparent e-commerce.