shedontluv-U
Busy rn , off my notifications for 1-2 hours
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2026
- Posts
- 10,991
- Reputation
- 28,948
FINANCIALLY AESTHETIC · GUIDE 22/37
SECURE YOUR MONEY AND ACT IN THE FIRST 24 HOURS
FA-4.4 · Scamproof & Financial Security
◆━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◆
THREAT MODEL
After a compromise, the first hours are about containment, evidence and regaining control.
Contact your card issuer immediately
Contact your card issuer immediately if:
- you notice an unauthorized or suspicious transaction on your credit card or debit card statement
- you lose your card
- your card has been stolen
- you lose the mobile device you use to make transactions or store banking information
If a refund is possible, to receive a full refund, you must:
- Notify your card issuer immediately if:
- You notice an unauthorized or suspicious transaction
- you lose your card
- you lose a mobile device used to conduct banking transactions or to store banking information
- your card or mobile device has been stolen
- Keep your PIN confidential and never reveal it to anyone, not even a family member
- Avoid choosing a PIN that is easy to guess, such as a date of birth or a phone number
- Use different PINs for different accounts and cards
Generally, these terms and conditions are similar across card issuers. Contact your card issuer or review your credit card or debit card agreement to verify the specific terms and conditions that apply.
The Risks If You Don’t Act Quickly Enough
There is a maximum amount for which you will be liable if someone uses your credit card without your authorization.
If your credit card issuer is a bank, this amount is $50. There is an exception if you were grossly negligent (in Quebec, “gross negligence”) in protecting:
- your credit card and the information about your credit card account
- your personal information used to authenticate yourself. This includes your PIN, passwords, or any other personal information used to verify your identity
A federally regulated financial institution other than a bank may have issued your credit card. In this case, the maximum amount is the lesser of the following:
- $50
- the maximum amount set out in your credit card agreement
For debit cards: You are not liable for financial losses resulting from circumstances beyond your control. For example, technical issues or the use of your card after you have already reported it as lost or stolen.
Generally, the maximum amount you are liable to pay cannot exceed your debit card’s withdrawal limit. In certain situations, you may be liable for an amount greater than your account balance, for example if:
- your account is linked to a line of credit or has overdraft protection
- your account is linked to one or more accounts
These rights and responsibilities apply when you do business with a federally regulated financial institution. For example, a bank, a federal credit union, or a payment card network operator.
Do not transfer any more money, even under pressure
Are you a victim of fraud? File a report with the police at www.police.be. You can also contact ConsumerConnect, the point of contact for the Federal Public Service Economy. Above all, do not send any more money! Even if the scammers put pressure on you. Stay on your guard, as you may still be targeted by another fraud attempt: that is the purpose of “recovery rooms.” Generally, it is the same scammers who offer victims the chance to get their money back!
Never respond directly to an offer. It’s better to say no or postpone your decision.
Assert Your Right to an Investigation
Federally regulated financial institutions cannot hold you liable for a transaction made without your authorization simply because someone used an authenticator to carry out that transaction. An authenticator can be a PIN or any other password or piece of information created to verify your identity.
A federally regulated financial institution must always conduct a thorough investigation into any unauthorized transaction you dispute. This applies regardless of how the person carried out the transaction, including by using:
- your PIN
- a magnetic stripe reader
- another technology
Your financial institution should take into account all circumstances that contributed to the unauthorized use of your credit card or debit card. This includes circumstances beyond your control, such as:
- you were coerced
- your card was stolen
- the system malfunctioned
- someone obtained your card number, PIN, or password by looking over your shoulder while you were using your card at an ATM or elsewhere
Document the facts and report the incident
In France
The THESEE (Harmonized Processing of Investigations and Reports for E-Fraud) platform allows you to file an online complaint for internet fraud without having to go to a police station or gendarmerie.
This service covers the following types of fraud:
- Hacking of email and instant messaging accounts (emails, social networks, etc.);
- Online blackmail (threats to one’s reputation in exchange for money);
- Ransomware (demanding a ransom to unlock a computer);
- Romance scams (abuse of trust: the scammer gains a person’s affection by using a false identity in order to extort money from them);
- Classified ad scams;
- Fraud related to online marketplaces.
If you have a FranceConnect account, you can file a preliminary complaint online for fraud using the guided form available on service-public.fr. In other cases, you will be directed to other services. This complaint will remain accessible in your personal “FranceConnect” file for six years. You will need to go to a police station or gendarmerie to finalize the deposit of your complaint. The standard procedure for depositing a complaint at a police station or gendarmerie remains available.
Don’t have a “FranceConnect” account, or don’t feel it’s necessary to use one or log in? In that case, you can file a simple report - equivalent to a police report at a police station or gendarmerie - by providing an email address as your contact information.
A receipt for the opened case, along with a copy of the complaint report or confirmation that the report has been deposited, will be sent to you immediately.
Complaints and reports are handled by a team of police officers and gendarmes assigned to the Central Office for Combating Crime Related to Information and Communication Technologies (OCLCTIC), which will determine whether the complaint is admissible or not.
Bank card fraud (in cases where your card is used for a purchase you did not authorize) falls under the jurisdiction of the specialized “Perceval” platform, which can also be accessed via “FranceConnect.”
Reports of illegal activity observed on the Internet (racism, incitement to violence, child pornography, piracy of protected content, scam sites, etc.) will be directed to the Pharos portal. Cases involving a breach or violation of consumer law, or a dispute over the performance of a contract, are handled by the DGCCRF via Signal Conso.
The Ma Sécurité mobile application allows you to communicate via instant messaging - available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - with the gendarmerie or the police station closest to you. They will answer your questions, assist you, and guide you toward the most appropriate solution if you have been the victim of a scam. You’ll also find a wealth of useful information and advice on prevention and protection.
In case of an emergency, you must still call 17.
The app’s interface features four tabs: Home, News, Advice, and Useful Numbers. These pages offer various features:
- Emergency calls;
- Reporting;
- Administrative procedures;
- Local and/or topic-specific news;
- Safety and prevention guides on topics that interest you (home, family, road safety, digital safety, harassment, sexual and gender-based violence, etc.).
To make it easier for you to interact with local police stations and gendarmerie posts, a map of service locations is provided. This map includes their contact information and hours of operation and allows you to schedule an appointment directly through the app.
If you’ve received a suspicious message that might be a phishing attempt, you can forward it to the dedicated platform and then delete it. Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr is dedicated to assisting individuals, businesses, organizations, local governments, and government agencies that have fallen victim to cybercrime, as well as informing them about digital threats and how to protect themselves. The platform offers a free online diagnostic and assistance service to victims of cybercrime and, if necessary, connects them directly with certified cybersecurity professionals throughout the country, whose services are paid for.
In Belgium
If you are a victim of investment fraud or an attempted investment fraud, report it to the FSMA. The FSMA is not authorized to recover lost funds, but it can issue warnings and maintains regularly updated lists of suspicious companies. The goal is to prevent others from falling into the trap. The FSMA also collaborates with the police and judicial authorities in investigations into fraud.
If you have received a suspicious message that could be a phishing attempt, forward it to [email protected], then delete it. For any other questions, please contact [email protected]. With the Safeonweb app, you’ll receive updates and notifications about phishing messages and new forms of online scams.
Points of contact by type of fraud:
| Situation | Contact |
| Victim of fraud | Police |
| Credit fraud | FSMA |
| Investment fraud | FSMA |
| Identity fraud | ConsumerConnect |
| Friendship fraud | ConsumerConnect |
| Invoice fraud | ConsumerConnect |
| CEO Fraud | ConsumerConnect |
| Phishing | [email protected] |
| Money Mules | Police |
Staying Vigilant: Verifications and Ongoing Caution
You can contact the FSMA if you want to learn more about a potentially fraudulent investment offer. If, despite all your precautions, you still have concerns about the person or company behind the offer, you can fill out the contact form.
Still have doubts? Ask your family, friends, or acquaintances for advice. You can also consult the warnings regularly published by the FSMA. Another option: check whether the name of the company offering the investment appears on the list of companies operating illegally. But be careful: just because the FSMA has not yet issued a warning about the person you’re dealing with does not guarantee that they are trustworthy!
The Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr website also features numerous publications that help you better understand various cyber threats and learn best practices for responding appropriately. Finally, it allows you to stay up to date on the latest cyber threats, thereby keeping your knowledge current and continuously adapting your behavior.
RESPONSE RULE
Use a written response order: secure email and phone, contact providers, freeze what you can, report and document.
- FTC - What to know about identity theft - United States - identity theft response.
- Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre - Canada - fraud reporting and prevention.
- CISA - Avoiding social engineering and phishing attacks - United States - cyber defence.
