"Those who sell fake passes do so above all for the money"

• According to a report drawn up on Monday by the Ministry of the Interior, the police have uncovered, in the context of 400 investigations, a total of 182,000 fake health passes since the establishment of the device this summer.

• These investigations are monitored by the sub-directorate for the fight against financial crime, headed by Comptroller General Thomas de Ricolfis.

• “Health passes are sold between 50 euros and 600 euros.

  In one case, we approach a turnover estimated at nearly one million euros, ”he explains in particular to

  20 Minutes

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Since the system was put in place last June, 182,000 fake health passes have been updated as part of 400 surveys.

According to the Minister of the Interior, a hundred people were arrested, both users and traffickers.

Gérald Darmanin, according to his entourage, instructed the directors general of the police and the gendarmerie last week to step up checks.

Thomas de Ricolfis heads the sub-directorate for the fight against financial crime, within the central directorate of the judicial police.

He explains to

how the investigators of the judicial police work to find sellers and buyers.

400 investigations are underway, in connection with the trafficking of false health passes.

Why is it the service you run that centralizes them?

At the start of Covid 19, in March 2020, the sub-directorate for the fight against financial crime dealt with fraud in connection with the mechanisms put in place by the State to overcome the health crisis. There were scams involving medical equipment, those linked to short-time working or to the solidarity fund. We have been working on health pass fraud since this system was put in place last summer. Even when it comes to antivax, those who market fake health passes do so primarily to make money. It is quite simply a financial fraud.

We ensure the follow-up of all the investigations which are handled, in general, by the territorial services of the central direction of the judicial police, but also by those of public security and the national gendarmerie.

We have a somewhat global view of the phenomenon.

We work hand in hand with the Oclaesp gendarmes who deal more with the health aspect.

What types of facts relate to these investigations?

There are people who have a health pass in their name and resell it.

There are also those who get a real one with the help of a person.

We have had, for example, health professionals who work in vaccination centers, such as doctors or nurses.

They took advantage of having access to the computer system to generate false passes.

In addition, we have observed several theft of card numbers belonging to health professionals.

This number being accessible online, some had found a loophole in accessing the accounts of these professionals.

Then all they had to do was generate the health passes.

The bugs have since been fixed.

Who are the people involved?

These are not networks, we have not found a criminal community to maneuver.

It's very individual, some want to be of service and get paid, others do it out of conviction… It's a delinquency of opportunity, a way for small groups to make money.

Regarding the requesting people, there are those who do not want to be vaccinated or those who do not want to waste time, who believe that it is a good way not to lose a day's work.

Do these offenses generate significant financial flows?

No, health passes are sold between 50 euros and 600 euros.

In one case, we approach a turnover estimated at nearly one million euros.

But again, it was not organized criminal groups that took this in hand.

How do you spot these offenses?

Sometimes, it was the vigilance of health workers working in vaccination centers that brought cases to light.

The primary health insurance funds (CPAM) also inform us of the frauds they detect.

For our part, we do a job of watch, classic police.

Indeed, fake passes are mainly sold on social networks such as Snapchat, WhatsApp or Tik-Tok.

People hear about it by word of mouth, by acquaintances.

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• Health pass

• Society

• Covid 19

• Interview

• Coronavirus

• Federal police

• Police

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