Beware of scams when setting up a self-employed business

In 2020, the number of auto-entrepreneurs increased by 9% while the creations of traditional sole proprietorships fell by 13%.

This particular status has been boosted by the coronavirus crisis with click and collect and home deliveries.

The status of auto-entrepreneur is easy to create but can attract usurpers.

As soon as it is created, letters that appear to be completely official can cost the victims several hundred euros.

A scam by "well-oiled" companies

The method is well established.

A few days after the official registration of a new auto-entrepreneur status, the first letters arrive by post with: a header that appears official, your contact details and even your SIRET, in other words the identification number of your self-business.

"This type of business is very well oiled, their mail is very professional, the colors are very clean, the shipments are very high quality," notes Grégoire Leclerq, president of the National Federation of Self-Employed. 

>> Find all the newspapers of the editorial staff of Europe 1 in replay and podcast here

Most of the time, scammers use "public data including Opendata from the government and INSEE" to develop their scheme.

So to try to flush them out, Grégoire Leclerq advises "to type the mark which is indicated on the mail on the Internet".

In all cases, the creation of a micro-business or a self-business is free so it is not possible to receive an official letter asking for money.  

Put these letters in the trash 

But the best thing to do is simply not to respond.

Otherwise, a kind of gear is set up.

"The more people give information, the more they will be in a sort of net which is tightening up and which keeps sending them letters or emails which each time come with a new reason", explains the president of the National Automobile Federation. -entrepreneurs. 

Fighting against these increasing scams is difficult: it is impossible to shut down the incriminated companies, often based abroad.