On 1^Er In September 2022, new ZFEs (low-emission zones) appeared, notably in Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier and Rouen. To drive around these French cities, you need to attach a famous one Crit’air thumbnail.

Numbered from 1 to 5, this “air quality certificate” makes it possible to discriminate against motorists based on the age of their vehicle, thereby banning the circulation of the oldest models singled out for their emissions. French people discovering this new limitation are increasingly looking for information to purchase this Crit’Air sticker, and some intruders seize the opportunity.

Crit’Air Sticker Scam: Beware of this new type of scam

News phishing campaigns (phishing) appeared on the Internet and SMS. For example, motorists are notified that their vehicle does not have a Crit’Air sticker and that they must obtain it as soon as possible or face a fine. The link accompanying this message is of course fraudulent and intended for get personal and banking information victims

Other scammers create websites that look like government ones and claim to sell Crit’Air vignettes at a rather intimidating price. However, many are falling victim to this new type of fraud. They won’t get any sticker or a fake Crit’Air sticker that will result in a real penalty if checked.

Paris city authorities will hire new agents to better control the vignettes of vehicles entering the ZFE. https://t.co/gPyUEulZyt

— AutoPlus (@AutoPlusMag) August 30, 2022

Crit’Air Sticker Scam: How to Avoid Them?

If you receive a message that looks suspicious, do not reply to it or follow the link provided to you. Indeed, government agencies do not conduct mailing campaigns to encourage motorists to receive a Crit’air sticker either by SMS or email.

Do not provide personal information to an unknown site, as well as bank information. If, despite these precautions, this happens to you, immediately challenge your bank card to your bank. You can also report about Fraudulent SMS with platform 33700.

Crit’Air Sticker: How to get the real one?

There is only one official website where you can buy a Crit’Air vignette, certificate-air.gouv.fr: it is run by the Ministry of Environmental Development and Territorial Cohesion and its address ends in “.gouv.fr” like the other official French government websites.

All you need to do is enter information about your vehicle’s registration document (or registration certificate), such as registration number, fuel, Euro standard or even date of first registration. The official rate is €3.11 + €0.59 postage (ie 3.70 euros per car), which is very different from some scam Crit’Air sticker sites asking for up to €60.

France will have even more EPZs by 2024. Will your car be able to drive in your city by then? https://t.co/XuXyoJ7uUx

— AutoPlus (@AutoPlusMag) July 3, 2022