Theft of his credit card
Verified 03 August 2023 - Legal and Administrative Information Directorate (Prime Minister)
You had your credit card stolen? You must immediately oppose on your map. It is also advisable to file a complaint with the police (police or gendarmerie). If your vigilance is not at issue, your bank will refund the money you spent fraudulently. In case of difficulties to obtain the refund, you can contact the banking ombudsman and/or the court. We present you with the information you need to know.
Step-by-step approach
General case
You must oppose, which means blocking the use of your card.
To do this, contact your bank or call the Opposition Interbank Server.
Who shall I contact
Interbank card Opposition Server
Allows you to make an immediate opposition on your credit card.
By telephone
0 892 705 705
Open 7 days a week and 24 hours a day.
Purple or premium-rate number: cost of a call to a fixed number + fee-paying service, from a landline or mobile phone.
A registration number is provided.
You have a dated record of your objection.
If your credit card agreement requires it, you must inform your agency of your opposition by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt or go on site at the counter. But this is not necessary if you have contacted your bank to object.
You can use the following mail template:
Confirm his statement of telephone opposition to his credit card
Warning
some banks are not connected to the interbank opposition server. You must then use a different special phone number.
Opposition proceedings may be paid for. Its cost varies depending on the banks and any insurance guarantees taken to cover the risk.
After your objection, it is impossible to make an expense with your card.
The procedure is final: you cannot request the return to service of your card after having filed an objection (even if you find it afterwards).
You're abroad
You must oppose, which means blocking the use of your card.
To do this, contact your bank or call the Opposition Interbank Server.
Who shall I contact
Interbank card Opposition Server
Allows you to make an immediate opposition on your credit card.
By telephone
0 892 705 705
Open 7 days a week and 24 hours a day.
Purple or premium-rate number: cost of a call to a fixed number + fee-paying service, from a landline or mobile phone.
Warning
some banks may require you to contact a special phone number to file an objection. Be sure to inquire before going abroad.
A registration number is provided.
You have a dated record of your objection.
If your credit card agreement requires it, you must notify your agency of your objection by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt. But this is not necessary if you have contacted your bank to object.
You can use the following mail template:
Confirm his statement of telephone opposition to his credit card
Opposition proceedings may be paid for. Its cost varies depending on the banks and any insurance guarantees taken to cover the risk.
After your objection, it is impossible to make an expense with your card.
The procedure is final: you cannot request the return to service of your card after having filed an objection (even if you find it afterwards).
It is advisable to report the theft to the police. To do this, you must complain. You can do it in a police station or in the gendarmerie. You can also do it by mail.
On the spot
You must go to a police station or the gendarmerie of your choice.
The police or gendarmerie services are obliged to register the complaint.
The complaint is then forwarded to the public prosecutor for a decision on further action (investigation, closure without further action...).
If you don't know the perpetrator, you can fill out an online pre-complaint before traveling.
You will then get an appointment and the police or gendarmes will already have the elements of your complaint upon your arrival.
By mail
You can file a complaint with the public prosecutor.
To do this, you must send an email to the court of law of the place of the offense or of the domicile of the offender.
Who shall I contact
Your mail should include the following:
- Your marital status and full contact information (address and telephone number)
- Detailed account of the facts, date and place of the offense
- Name of the alleged perpetrator if known (otherwise, the complaint will be filed against X)
- Names and addresses of any witnesses to the offense
- Description and provisional or definitive estimate of the damage
- Your proof documents: medical certificates, work stoppages, miscellaneous invoices, findings...
- Your eventual willingness to become a civil party
You can use the following mail template:
File a complaint with the public prosecutor
You can send your complaint by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt, by simple letter or by letter followed.
You can also file your complaint directly at the courthouse.
In any case, a receipt is given to you as soon as the Public Prosecutor's Office has registered your complaint.
FYI
you can file a complaint against your spouse, parents or child if they are responsible for the theft of your credit card.
The complaint allows you to obtain a receipt, that is, a document attesting to the registration of your return. You can send the receipt to your bank when you request a refund.
Procedure
Whether fraudulent purchases have been made with your card, you can ask your bank for a refund. Check with your bank to find out how to apply.
If you have opposition belatedly, your bank may refuse to reimburse you. A fraudulent payment cannot be refunded if it is more than 13 months old.
In addition, you will not be reimbursed for any fault or negligence on your part (for example, if you wrote your code on the back of the card). It is up to the bank to prove this fault or negligence.
The level of reimbursement depends on the use of the secret code and the amount spent.
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If the passcode has not been used
The refund is complete regardless of the amount spent.
Whether the passcode was used
Up to €50 spent
There is no refund.
More than €50 spent
The refund is partial: €50 are at your expense, the remainder is refunded.
Example :
If €200 have been spent, your bank will refund you €150.
Please note
banks may offer insurance that allows for a larger repayment of amounts lost before opposition.
However, the bank will have to refund you in full if the theft could not be detected before the fraudulent use of the card.
Appeals
If you are unable to obtain a refund or cancelation of payments associated with an objection request, you can enter the banking ombudsman.
If the intervention of the banking ombudsman has not allowed the dispute to be settled, you can bring the case to court.
The competent court depends on the sums involved in the dispute.
- For a case less than or equal to €10,000, it is the local court or the judicial court.
- For a case greater than €10,000No, it's the court.
Who shall I contact
Penalties for false declarations
If you have provided false information to justify your objection, you will have to remit to your bank the refunds you have made in error.
In addition, you may be fined €375,000 and a five-year prison sentence.
To obtain a new card, you must apply to your bank. Check with your bank to find out how to apply. The card will have a new number and a new secret code.
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
Repayment of stolen amounts after opposition
Repayment of stolen amounts before opposition
Document template
Service-Public.fr
National Institute of Consumer Affairs (INC)