You have recently registered your business and are looking forward to finalising your health cover, so you are probably keen to answer any incoming call from the French administration. Be careful not to be caught by a new scam charging you 3€ as soon as you call them back, then keeping you navigating through their online directory, charging you another 0.80€ to 2.99€ per minute!
I came across this scam with a customer this week, who received a message relating to démarche administrative and inviting her to call back with a personal 4 digit code. This customer had been waiting for her health cover confirmation and was therefore keen to answer any question and check what was wrong with her business record. Just know that it is very rare for SSI, URSSAF or CPAM to call you! Documents are requested by post.
Which phone numbers are likely to be a scam
Bercy has also warned about this scam this week. Numbers that are likely to overcharge you, start by the following numbers:
- 10 digit numbers starting by 081 , 082 or 089
- 4 digit numbers starting by 1 or 3
- 6 digit numbers starting by 118
You can also check how much you will be charged by entering the phone number on this site for annuaire inversé.
Where did these companies get your phone number
When registering your business, you have to give some personal details (business address, phone number), which unfortunately can be rented by businesses, unless you have specifically requested not to share your information. There is a box to tick stating "Je demande à ce que les informations enregistrées dans le répertoire Sirene ne puissent pas être consultées ou utilisées par des tiers".
Unfortunately, if you tick this box, you cannot see your business details in online records such as societe.com or Insee, which comes handy to check that you are properly recorded. An alternative is to not share your phone number, which will save you from the car rental, electricity, liability insurance cold calls...