Telephone scam involving a fake adviser (Vishing)

What is it?

Vishing (a portmanteau of “voice” and “phishing”) is a telephone-based phishing method aimed at gaining access to sensitive data.

The scammer contacts the victim verbally – usually by phone – and poses as a Crédit Agricole next bank employee. They induce the victim to disclose confidential information or authorise a transaction by making them believe it is in their own best interest.

The calling numbers are often hidden or spoofed, making it difficult to block or identify the caller.

How to protect yourself?

• Be wary of calls asking for personal or confidential information. Crédit Agricole next bank does not need this information and will never ask you for it.
• Please note that Crédit Agricole next bank contacts you only via telephone, email or the Secure Mailbox. No other channels are used.
• The bank never asks for your account number, bank card details, username or online banking password.
• Be cautious of calls from abroad.
• Exercise great care regarding calls reporting an issue with your account, a payment or an online banking system update.
• If in doubt: do not confirm anything, stay calm, hang up and contact your Crédit Agricole next bank adviser to verify the situation (Important: you can find their contact details – name, email address and phone number – in the “Secure Mailbox” section of your secure online banking area).

What should you do if you have been a victim of vishing?

1. End the call immediately.
2. If you have shared information regarding your debit or credit card, contact the card-blocking service immediately: debit card on +41 (0)58 399 66 56, credit card on +41 (0)58 958 83 83 (24/7).
3. If you entered your online banking password, change it immediately, as well as any identical passwords used for other services. Choose a different, strong password for each service.
4. If the password you shared was for your email account, also reset the passwords for services linked to that email address.
5. If you were asked to install remote access software, uninstall it immediately and change all passwords used on that device.
6. Contact your Crédit Agricole next bank adviser to report the incident (Important: you can find their contact details – name, email address and phone number – in the “Secure Mailbox” section of your secure e-banking area).
7. In the event of financial loss, file a criminal complaint with the local police. The Suisse Epolice website allows you to find the nearest police station.

Vishing shares mechanisms similar to another common type of scam; check out our article on fake adviser scam.