This fraud on premium rate numbers has claimed thousands of lives. These people who were trying to join public services have in fact enriched a Marseilles company which made, in less than a year, a profit of almost ten million euros.
The investigation carried out by the group of the fight against the financial delinquency of the judicial police of Marseilles, in connection with the services of the general direction of the competition, the consumption and the repression of the frauds (DGCCRF), lasted three years, said the prosecution. It started after the report of individuals who peering their telephone records realized that they were billed for premium rate numbers after trying to reach an administration or a public service.
Hundreds of euros per communication
The company offered to contact authorities using a premium rate number. After this connection, the victims, estimated at several thousand in total, were billed for some of several hundred euros per communication.
Monday, a receivable of more than a million euros which was to collect this Marseilles company was seized by the investigators, added the parquet floor. "The company will be summoned to the criminal court by the end of the year for deceptive marketing practice," added Xavier Leonetti, deputy prosecutor.
Offenders are liable to a sentence of two years' imprisonment and a maximum fine of 300,000 euros.
Society
Partial unemployment: 850 suspected fraud and four “fraud” procedures on 3,000 checks
Society
Orange: Operator blocked 111 million abusive telephone canvassings in three months
- News Marseille
- Marseille
- Parquet
- Scam
- News
- Police