Sûreté publique warns of wave of identity theft in Monaco
If in doubt, contact the Division de police judiciaire (Criminal Investigation Department) © All rights reserved
The Direction de la Sûreté Publique (Police Department) is calling for the utmost vigilance.
Fraudsters are posing as high-profile Monegasque figures in order to extort money from their contacts. The Sûreté Publique is appealing for vigilance about the new type of scam, which has been going around the Principality for several days.
It is a sophisticated system. The criminals use email, text messaging or WhatsApp video conferencing to get in touch with personal contacts, company directors or institutional officials known to the figures they claim to represent. They use forged official documents with the letterheads and signatures of Monegasque organisations, and even manage to have official telephone numbers on display when they call.
The aim is always the same: to arrange emergency transfers to foreign bank accounts on the pretext of solving a pressing financial problem. Potential victims are approached by individuals who claim to be acting on behalf of people they know.
The authorities recommend three safety precautions:
- be wary if you receive unusual requests
- systematically check the identity of the person you are speaking to by contacting them directly
- report any such attempts immediately to the Criminal Investigation Department on +377 93 15 30 15 or by email to csco@gouv.mc.