Scam involving fake advisers: Caisse des Dépôts alerts on fraud in France
The Caisse des Dépôts has warned against a wave of scams in which cybercriminals impersonate its advisers in order to extract fictitious filing fees.
Caisse des Dépôts targeted by scammers promising "funds awaiting collection"
The Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (CDC) published an official warning on its website on Monday, 31 August 2026 signalling a wave of scams carried out "in the name of the Caisse des Dépôts" across French territory. According to 01net.com, cybercriminals are impersonating fake advisers from the institution in order to extort money from individuals, including people who are not CDC customers.
Varied approach techniques backed by data breaches
The scammers contact their targets by telephone or email. To build their lists of potential victims, the fraudsters exploit the numerous data breaches of recent years. By aggregating compromised directories sourced from the dark web, they obtain both contact details and additional personal information intended to strengthen the credibility of their pitch.
To hook their targets, the fraudsters claim the existence of "funds awaiting collection at the Caisse des Dépôts following investments". Their argument is based on a 2014 law which effectively requires banks and insurance companies to transfer to the CDC the funds of dormant accounts — securities accounts, PEAs, life insurance policies or savings plans on which the account holder has not taken action for several years. In practice, a securities account or PEA is transferred to the CDC ten years after the customer's last transaction; the institution then holds these sums for twenty years whilst awaiting a beneficiary.
The trap of filing fees
It is at this stage that the scam closes the trap on the victim. The fraudsters demand payment of "filing fees" presented as essential in order to unlock the funds purportedly held in deposit. This requirement is the telltale sign of fraud: no legitimate institution demands advance payment to return sums owed. In reality, any potential fees are simply deducted from the funds returned to the beneficiary.
The CDC's genuine service for searching for dormant holdings, called Ciclade, is entirely free and accessible online without any advance payment.
The Caisse des Dépôts' recommendations
In its statement, the CDC is explicit: anyone who "receives a call or email of this type" must "not act on it". The institution further emphasises that it "never contacts its customers in this way", whether by telephone or by unsolicited email.
When faced with a suspicious contact attempt invoking the Caisse des Dépôts, targeted individuals are advised to ignore the message and to transmit no personal information or payment.
Source: Google News FR — Crime (fr)