Fraudulent manipulation costs half a billion euros

A half a billion euros was stolen through fraud by manipulation in 2025, according to figures published by the Banque de France. This type of fraud, which involves manipulating victims to perform or validate fraudulent transactions, increased by 34% compared to the previous year and now accounts for more than 40% of total payment method fraud, twice as much as five years ago.

Common forms of manipulation fraud

The most publicized form of this fraud is the "fake bank advisor" scam, in which fraudsters impersonate bank officials and ask victims to perform operations under the pretext of protecting their money. Other forms include "fake RIB" fraud, where scammers replace legitimate bank details with their own, and "fake financial investment" fraud, where victims are directed to fake websites to deposit or transfer funds.

Shift in fraud tactics and targets

The "golden age" of manipulation fraud coincides with a surge in fraud involving online bank transfers. The number of fraudulent transactions using online bank transfers increased by 182% between 2024 and 2025. At the same time, frauds based on card payments decreased by 10%, although they remain 22 times more numerous.

Higher stakes in transfer fraud

This shift is attributed to the higher average amount stolen per transaction through transfers, which reached 1,457 euros in 2025, compared to 60 euros for card fraud. Stephen Kim, associate director at mc2i, noted that fraud has shifted from technical flaws in payment security to social engineering, facilitated by data leaks.

Banks adapt to new fraud tactics

Banks have responded by informing customers that no legitimate bank advisor will ask for passwords or security codes, and by implementing warning messages and strong authentication steps. Some banks have also introduced measures such as "certified calls" to alert customers when contacted by advisors and have blocked transfers to foreign IBANs.

Slower processes to prevent fraud

Other banks have opted to slow down processes, reintroducing delays between adding a beneficiary and making a transfer, as seen with Crédit Agricole. This approach, while effective in preventing fraud, introduces friction and may indicate an admission of impotence in detecting fraud in the era of instant transfers, which now account for two-thirds of fraudulent transfers.

Challenges in detecting instant fraud

Some banks have struggled with detecting fraudulent instant transfers, with a quarter of financial institutions in France and Belgium detecting fraud only after the payment had been processed. An example is the Resolis association, which suffered nine consecutive fraudulent instant transfers totaling 27,939 euros without its bank, Crédit Mutuel, detecting any anomaly. The bank has refused to reimburse the loss, putting the association at risk.