The Vigifraude method: separate observations from assumptions

Turn vague concerns into testable questions

Rather than asking whether a website is simply “safe”, identify specific questions: does the address match the official service and is the requested payment change authorised?

Each observation should carry a source, collection date and relevant limitations. Third-party claims may be useful but require corroboration.

Build a chronology without filling gaps

Putting events in chronological order helps distinguish contact, action and consequence. Do not infer a person’s identity from one technical marker.

Technical review must remain within authorised access. Vigifraude does not use this method to conduct individual-targeted private investigations for clients.

Practical checks

• State the question precisely
• Find an independent reference
• Record results and limitations
• Select a defensible next step

Choose an action proportionate to the evidence

A minor inconsistency may need a second confirmation; an active account breach calls for prompt protective action. Context determines urgency.

Alain Stevens’s experience in digital research since 1999 supports a disciplined approach in which uncertainty is documented rather than hidden.

Related resources

Build a suitable control

The value of a method lies in its ability to be repeated and checked by another person.

For a technical question, software project or training request, describe the need without sending credentials or unnecessary personal data.