The crooks ride the wave of rising energy prices and fuel shortages.
On Twitter, a scam consists in offering TotalEnergies prepaid cards at a third of their face value.
Of course, the victims will not receive any card and will never be reimbursed.
The ability of scammers to adapt to current events is incredible, we must at least recognize that.
And with fuel prices boosted by the shortage currently affecting the territory, some thought that there might be something to scratch motorists looking for cheap gasoline.
20 Minutes
has discovered a nice TotalEnergies card scam that is circulating on social networks.
“When it's too good, there's a wolf,” Martine Aubry could have said if she had come across the offer offered by a certain Thomas Reygaerd, alias @ReygaerdT, on Twitter.
On his account, recently created on the platform, the individual assures, in dubious French, that “with this explosive increase in fuel prices we have found (sic) some solutions for you for a good time to enjoy”.
And this “solution” takes the form of prepaid petrol cards, valid at TotalEnergies stations.
Gas cards and cannabis
There are plenty of unmistakable signs that this is a scam.
The profile photo to begin with, stolen from the website of a company specializing in the replacement of windshields.
The photos of the so-called cards for sale, all identical.
The hashtags used which have nothing to do with the offer and which brew very widely to lure as many Internet users as possible.
Forwarding to account@ludo9196, on encrypted Telegram messaging.
Account which, after a little research, appears on the Twitter profile of a certain "Luc Fournier", specializing in the trade in narcotics, in particular cannabis...
Intrigued and teasing,
20 Minutes
pretended to take the bait.
A surreal exchange ensued in DM on Twitter.
Our interlocutor first assures us that everything is perfectly legal and that the cards come from “a company operating in logic (sic) and transport.
He then gives us the list of prices, which are particularly attractive.
Basically, for 1 euro paid, we get 3 euros of gasoline.
And his "cards", he sells them between 300 and 2,000 euros.
Of course, our interlocutor refuses our proposal to pay by check or cash on delivery: "Payment is (sic) made by card or cryptocurrency", he insists.
Logic.
"You have our word"
To push him a bit, we're being cautious and asking how he can assure us it's not a scam.
“I understand you but that doesn't exist with us, you have our word,” he replies.
Not enough to convince us, so we ask for a photo of him with a TotalEnergies card and the mention of the current date.
"I have my cards but for the moment I do not have it (sic) with me but if you doubt there is no problem", tries to explain our interlocutor.
After two hours of this little game, the man did not answer and blocked us.
However, the Twitter account in question has not been deactivated.
More worryingly, we found that the Telegram account linked to this scam has nearly a hundred members.
Because, of course, the people who fall into the trap will never receive a TotalEnergies card and will never see their money again.
Justice
Montpellier: Five people sentenced for housing renovation subsidy fraud
Miscellaneous facts
Yvelines: Children defrauded on Instagram, parents stripped of 85,000 euros
TotalEnergies
Fuels
Shortage
Essence
Twitter
Scam
Lille
Hauts-de-France
Company