top cx logo
cx logo
Explorearrow down
search icon
Explore
arrow down

Beware of this latest French phone scam

Connexion reader, Malise Ruthven, shares a recent phone scam they fell victim to

A Connexion reader exposes yet another phone scam you need to look out for in France Pic: Tero Vesalainen / Shutterstock

Regarding your recent story about bank and similar scams, I would like to add a warning. 

I recently had a phone call on my fixed line from a woman claiming to work for Orange. 

She explained technicians were updating my network and gave me various numbers to call, instructing me to leave my fixed phone décroché while they made necessary adjustments. 

This lasted several hours. 

It happened that our handyman came by while I was on one of the calls. 

He immediately suspected a scam, and told me to ring off and check with Orange. 

I called the helpline and learned, to my chagrin, that the foreign-based ‘technicians’ had relieved my account of €67. 

The charges had been incurred by my leaving the set off its holder, while being asked occasionally to call different French numbers. 

I assume these were premium numbers, although I did not think this at the time. 

I hope you can add this scam to your list in future versions of your excellent articles.

Read more: Beware new telephone scam for bank details doing rounds in France 

By Malise Ruthven, via email

Related articles

Bank fraud and other scams on rise in France: What to watch out for

Warning over French tax rebate email scam

Scam alert: Fraudsters pose as French police to con people out of cash

Resident or second-home owner in France?
Benefit from our daily digest of headlines and how-to's to help you make the most of life in France
By joining the newsletter, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy
See more popular articles
The Connexion Help Guides
featured helpguide
Income Tax in France 2023 (for 2022 income)*
Featured Help Guide
- Primarily aimed at Britons, covers pensions, rent, ISAs, shares, savings and interest - but also contains significant general information pertinent to readers of other nationalities - Overview of online declarations + step-by-step guide to the French printed forms - Includes updates given automatically after this year's site opened
Get news, views and information from France