The message supposedly sent by Emmanuel Macron is written in a familiar tone, and invites recipients to contact the head of state directly via the encrypted messaging app Signal: "Message me now on the Signal app. My Signal number is +33 7... Thank you. Emmanuel Macron."
This is yet another "smishing" scam, a variant of phishing that uses text messages to deceive victims and extract sensitive information or money. Faced with In response to this growing threat, the Élysée Palace published an official warning on its X account on Friday, March 14, 2025, calling on citizens to be extremely vigilant and reminding them of the best practices to adopt when faced with this type of fraudulent message: "Never click on a dubious link, always check the sender's number and never share your personal information".
This scam campaign is taken very seriously by the French authorities, especially since it exploits the notoriety of President Macron to lend credibility to the trap. While some might smile at the grotesque nature of the message, the consequences can be serious for those who fall for it.
The phenomenon is not isolated because for several years, cybercrime has exploded in France and elsewhere. Criminals compete in imagination to deceive their victims: fake court summons, CPF scams, fake fines or even fake messages related to the Vitale card and parcel deliveries. Recently, even Jean-Noël Barrot, French Minister of Foreign Affairs, was victim of a similar phishing attempt via a secure messaging service. Fortunately for him, no major flaw was detected after he clicked on a malicious link...
The authorities remind that anyone receiving this type of fraudulent SMS can report the numbers concerned to the official platform dedicated to combating unwanted calls and SMS by dialing 33700.
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