To tackle evolving credit card fraud and streamline reporting for citizens, France's Ministry of the Interior—via the National Gendarmerie's Center for Fighting Digital Crime—launched an online platform. Known as Perceval (short for "Electronic platform for collecting bank details and their conditions of employment reported by victims of fraudulent online purchases"), it empowers victims to report scams digitally. When should you use it? How does it operate? Here's what you need to know from our expertise in digital security.
As online shopping surges, so do sophisticated credit card scams. Launched by the National Gendarmerie in June 2018, Perceval collects and analyzes reports of fraudulent online bank card uses from the public.
According to the 2019 "State of the Threat Related to Digital" report by the Ministerial Delegation for Security Industries and Cyber Threat Prevention, Perceval gathered over 100,000 reports by July 2019—equating to 400,000 fraudulent transactions. Reports continue to rise, with an average loss of €480 per incident. Notably, 4,500 reports exceeded €1,500 in damages.
Expert gendarme analysts from the central criminal intelligence service review these submissions, identifying patterns and links. This intelligence often triggers formal investigations with prosecutors and judicial requisitions to pursue perpetrators.
Perceval is available 24/7 via a service-public.fr account through FranceConnect—accessible on computers, tablets, or smartphones. If you spot unauthorized online purchases on your statements, report them directly from home (online fraud only).
Your report aids law enforcement investigations into scammers while simplifying complaints at police stations or gendarmeries. It also accelerates bank reimbursements: post-submission and identity verification, you receive a receipt with key details and a personalized barcode to share with your bank.
To qualify for reporting:
False declarations violate these terms and carry penalties of up to €7,500 fine and 6 months imprisonment.
The process involves a simple form: enter card number, bank name, transaction date, description, amount, and more.
