RIB scam between individuals: don't fall for it

Individuals very often provide their bank details for a variety of reasons. Not everyone considers this document to be sensitive, and few are aware of the risks involved in passing it on to strangers, particularly when they want to be paid by bank transfer. The proliferation of payment methods and associated technologies means that ill-intentioned people can set up scams using a RIB gleaned from the Internet.

For some time now, the RIB scam has been rife on classified ad sites such as Leboncoin, Facebook, ParuVendu, La centrale... This scam essentially relies on the fact that victims will not consider it sensitive to give their RIB to strangers. An urban legend has it that a bank account number is only used to credit a bank account. In reality, it is quite possible to steal the money from the account attached to it through the back door.

Find out how to protect yourself in less than 3 minutes by watching our video on RIB scams between individuals:

Want to find out more? Read the full article below

A well-disguised scam that won't arouse suspicion

While many scams can quickly set you off, the RIB scam is more subtle, in that the swindler won't force you, won't try to offer you a golden deal and won't try to impose extra costs on you. The scammer will simply :

• If you are a buyer: ask you for your bank details and give you a pretext (need to register as a contact imposed by your bank, desire for reassurance, etc.).
• If you are a seller: ask for your bank details so that you can be registered as a beneficiary with the seller's bank.

So far, the victim has no reason to be suspicious at first sight, and the fact that the RIB is not directly a means of payment will lead him or her to pass on the document easily. This is a serious mistake! Some people will even ask you for a photo of your identity document, supposedly to ensure your honesty or to set up the registration... Never give this type of document to a stranger!

The fraudster will set up direct debit mandates

This is where things get complicated. The fraudster will say that he has changed his mind and no longer wants to carry out the transaction. This is not seen as a problem for the future victim, since she has "just" sent her bank details. But things quickly get complicated. There are generally two techniques that can be deployed by scammers:

Technique 1: Direct debit mandate for services or subscriptions

The fraudster will sign up for online offers (subscriptions to TV packages, video-on-demand services, newspaper subscriptions, box subscriptions, etc.) and use a stolen bank account number for the money orders.

Technique 2: The direct debit mandate for payments

More sophisticated and much more difficult to counter, this involves making payments by direct debit. In practice, the fraudster will open payment service accounts using a false identity and stolen bank details in order to make direct debit payments to the accounts of accomplices who also have fraudulent accounts. They will also often use false identity documents. By the time the victim and their bank can react, the crooks will have recovered the money.

Never give personal or banking documents to a stranger

With technology and new payment methods, it is extremely easy for crooks to find scam schemes that exploit documents, even those considered the least sensitive. A RIB can be used to set up direct debit scams and be extremely costly for victims. You should therefore take care to keep all your documents to yourself, and make payments via secure services that do not allow the person you are dealing with to access your personal or banking information.

Identity and bank account theft scams are particularly prevalent on classified ad sites and forums, so it's vital to be aware of the different types of scam in order to prevent and avoid them.

Secure payment with Obvy

At Obvy, you can secure all your transactions without the other party having access to any personal or banking information. Our secure peer-to-peer payment system is able to secure all transactions and prevent 100% of scams, while offering identity verification, real-time negotiation and many other innovative features that keep your information private and safe while allowing you to make all your payments simply.

Obvy makes it possible to safely place the transaction funds in a tamper-proof account for the time it takes to meet someone or deliver an item or perform a service. It can be used for all goods and services transactions.