Financial fraud
Ali receives an e-mail.
In the e-mail there is an investment offer.
You put money in an investment
The money can get more.
The offer is:
Pay € 1,000 into this account today.
Enter your personal data,
Personal data are for example
– Name
– your address
– date of birth
Then you will get 5,000 euros back in one year.
Ali is unsure:
Is this a serious offer?
No, Ali! It’s financial fraud!
Financial fraud is the use of scams and tricks.
Criminals use them,
to steal money or personal data.
There are many different types of fraud.
For example:
• Phishing:
This means that someone sends fake emails or messages.
• Identity theft
This means that someone pretends to be someone else.
They use your name and address, for example.
• Offering fake investment offers.
Today, technology is advanced.
There is more and more online banking.
This makes fraud more difficult to recognise.
That’s why it’s important:
You can recognise a fraud.
Some people rely heavily on:
• technology
• social media
There is a danger:
Becoming a victim of financial fraud.
If you fall for a fraud,
There are big problems for you.
For example:
• Loss of money
• Identity theft
If you are the victim of fraud,
you can report the fraud to the police.
But please do not lose confidence
in all banks and financial institutions.
Learn:
How can you make secure financial transactions with trustworthy banks?
Inform yourself about the following topics
so that you do not easily become a victim to fraud:
• Financial products
For example:
▪ Savings account
▪ investment funds
▪ Financial services
For example:
Advice on investments
Management of existing investments
• Financial providers
These are: Banks, insurance companies
• Consumer protection
This means:
What rights do you have as a consumer?
• Rights and obligations:
What rights and obligations do you have in financial transactions?
What rights and obligations do providers of financial transactions have?
• Fraud
• Information and advice,
• Taxes and public spending
• External influences
For example:
What influence does the current economy and politics
have on finances?
How do you recognise financial fraud?
A company contacts you.
They want to sell you something.
You don’t know this company.
There is no information about the company on the Internet.
There is no legal notice on the company’s website.
The legal notice is the address of the company’s management.
The company promises you:
You will make a high profit in a short time.
You must accept the offer immediately.
If you don’t, the offer expires.
The company sends you messages.
There are many spelling mistakes in the messages.
The content of the messages is strange.
You are unsure,
whether it’s a real company or a scam?
Search for the company on the Internet.
Are there any warnings about the company?
From the police?
From other customers?
You should not accept such offers!
Another type of fraud is:
You have met someone online.
After a short time, they ask you:
Can you give me money for an emergency?
You shouldn’t do that!
Ali searches for information about the company
from which he received the e-mail.
There is a warning from the police on the Internet:
The company’s offer is a fraud.
Ali deletes the e-mail.
Now he can recognise financial fraud!
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Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
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