WARNING!
We have unfortunately encountered a scam that has resulted in a significant financial loss. Despite successfully halting shipments, our goods are currently being held in France, awaiting customs clearance. We feel it is crucial to warn our fellow bicycle industry professionals and the general public about this scam, urging everyone to exercise caution and avoid falling victim to such fraudulent schemes. It is essential to remain vigilant and conduct thorough research and verification when engaging in business transactions. By raising awareness, we hope to prevent others from experiencing the same unfortunate situation and protect the integrity of the bicycle industry.
WARNING
All entrepreneurs are warned about the fraud by which, from fake e-mail addresses (savin.jb@avredis.com and savin.jb@avredis.fr), offers are sent to Croatian companies to conclude valuable deals with the legal entity AVREDIS from France.
In specific cases of Croatian companies that turned to the Croatian Chamber of Commerce and the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in France with a request to verify the credibility of the communication and the legal entity, it was determined that it was a digital fraud, that is, "identity theft" of a business entity that actually operates in France. Namely, the company AVERDIS is one of the franchises of the large retail chain "LECLERC" and is registered in the French court register and has two branches.
In the received fraudulent communication, correspondence with business entities in Croatia is conducted with a person who presents himself as:
Mr. SAVIN Jean-Bernard
Purchase – Commercial Director
AVREDIS – LECLERC
Rue De La Baronnie
28350 ST Lubin Des Joncherets
Tel.: +33.484.350.512
Direct: +33.644.673.313
Email: savin.jb@avredis.fr / savin.jb@avredis.com
In the communication with the real representatives of the AVERDIS company, it was established that they had no communication with the companies that approached the HGK and Supreme Council in Paris, and that Mr. Jean-Bernard SAVIN, who actually works in this company, does not use the given email addresses.
We ask all business entities that receive offers from the above addresses not to engage in communication and business cooperation.
We warn of the increasing frequency of fraud related to economic cybercrime, where a criminal organization either hacks the e-account of an employee of a company or creates an e-address very similar to the real one, and the messages look very similar to the authentic address of a legitimate company. All fraud cases have in common that the individuals in the companies they want to defraud are presented by the thieves with enough convincing information to make the victim believe that they are communicating with legitimate entities.
We ask all businessmen to be careful when establishing new partnerships with foreign entities, and in case you are not sure about the credibility of business offers you receive from abroad, you can send requests for verification to HGK via e-mail address: eoi@hgk.hr or via the competent diplomatic-consular representation Republic of Croatia