But first the victim story...
The victim contacted a company online called Atlantique Emprunt. They claimed to be online brokers acting as intermediaries between individuals for giving/receiving loans. The victim was asked to pay 300 euros before collecting the funds as a proof that he has the financial capacity to repay the loan he was asking for. The victim was not sure if this is a scam or not.
Well, the first and obvious answer to that was clear: it is a scam. No real company will ever ask for an advance fee. But who is doing it and how it works? That is the question we are trying to answer in this topic.
The fake site used in scam: atlantique-emprunts.com
According to the fake site:
Atlantique Emprunt est un site de crédit entre particuliers mettant en relation des emprunteurs souhaitant financer leurs projets et des prêteurs susceptibles de les aider.
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Atlantic Loan is a personal credit site linking borrowers wishing to finance their projects and lenders who can help them.
Get your credit from 1000 € at a fixed rate of 2%
Champs requis.
** : Soumettez votre IBAN & votre BIC pour pré-enregistrement si vous souhaitez recevoir vos fonds plus rapidement après validation de votre dossier.
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Required fields.
**: Submit your IBAN & BIC for pre-registration if you wish to receive your funds more quickly after validation of your file.
ADRESSE
contact@atlantique-emprunts.com
http: / /www. atlantique-emprunts.com
Langestraat 397, 7540 Kain
The location is supposedly in Belgium. But... Kain is not a city, it is a section of the Belgian town of Tournai, located in the Walloon Region in the province of Hainau.
From the fake site details - http://db.aa419.org/fakebanksview.php?key=120550:
Domain Name: atlantique-emprunts.com
Updated Date: 2016-07-11
Creation Date: 2016-07-11
Registrar Registration Expiration Date: 2017-07-11
Registrar: Moniker Online Services LLC
Registry Registrant ID: Not Available From Registry
Registrant Name: Ange Dossa
Registrant Organization:
Registrant Street: 8 rue des cheminots
Registrant City: Parakou
Registrant State/Province:
Registrant Postal Code: 00229
Registrant Country: BJ
Registrant Phone: +229.95157890
Registrant Email: angedossa12@gmail.com
This is what the fake site is looking like:
The so called Belgium company giving loans is in fact published by somebody from Benin... and this fake entity is not the only one.
The fake site is created by a scammer having over a hundred similar fake sites. His fraud activity covers various areas; from mainly loan scams, to gold scams, jobs scams, charity scams and even romance scams, mostly targeting non-English speakers. Then there will always be at least one fake lawyer, pressurizing the victim every time the victim starts having doubts. He usually impersonates banks and investment companies in Europe and he is making thousands of victims believe the lies he is publishing online. Reports about his fake sites have been appearing online on various warning / anti-scam sites for months, even those of the regulators. When one of his fake sites gets suspended after a victims reports it, the scammer is back online with a new site, already reserved until the moment he needs it.
Of all the fake sites this criminal created, the height of hypocrisy is the one called Access Finance Facile. While pretending they are fighting against Western African scammers normally asking the victims to send money through Western Union or Money gram, the victims are scammed directly on the site by being asked to buy PCS Mastercards and then to provide the card details for validating their registration.
At least one of his fake sites was on the list of the Prudential Control Authority of Bank of France, on December 21, 2015, in a press release warning consumers about loan frauds. This was the first time the French authority actually named the fake sites addresses involved in fraud.
How the scam works was analysed in an article published not long time ago in the French media: http://www.60millions-mag.com/2016/02/0 ... nner-10123.
The way scammers are using fake profiles on Facebook to lure victims is exposed in http://www.lci.fr/conso-argent/les-faus ... 02811.html.
The scammer behind the extended cyber-fraud nest reported in this topic has been identified, his real identity:
Jean-baptiste Gbedo
Motto: Blowing Money Fast
Webmaster & Social Media Manager at MIKEM Technologie
Directeur Marketing et Communication at The Ring Concept
Former Conseiller Commercial at ALO Mobile Bénin
Former Télévendeur pour France Telephony at Groupe Media Contact
Former Chargé des relations extérieures at Pacific Consulting Group S.A.R.L
Former PDG at Johnny Laden's Courtage
Former PDG at Johnny Laden's Pictures Industries
Former Stagiaire at LNB
Former Stagiaire at SONAPRA
Former Chef de vente et d'approvisionnement at ETS GBEDO & FILS
Studied Marketing et Communication at Institut Supérieur de Management Adonaï (ISM Adonaï)
Studied MARKETING ET ACTION COMMERCIALE at Ecole Nationale d'Economie Appliquée et de Management (ENEAM)
Went to COLLEGE CATHOLIQUE MGR ISIDORE DE SOUZA
Lives in Cotonou, Benin
From Ouidah-Plage, Atlantique, Benin
Additional details:
Nickname: Jibounet
3BP1635 Cotonou
229 Cotonou, Benin
Website
http: / / www. theringconcept.com
Birthday January 4
Few of his pictures: