Provence

The victims are owners who had financed the installation of solar panels or heat pumps on credit. anatoliy_gleb / stock.adobe.com

In a press release, the prosecution announced that it had taken over a vast home scam orchestrated by false defenders of consumers who were victims of energy renovation work fraud.

Le Figaro Marseille

They claimed to come to the aid of people already in distress, in order to then take advantage of them. In a press release, the Marseille prosecutor’s office announces that it has uncovered a vast system of home scams, perpetrated by people posing as consumer defenders. The suspects approached their victims’ homes, all of whom have in common being owners who had installed solar panels or heat pumps financed on credit.

«The practice consisted of dangling the possibility of recovering, through amicable negotiation, the sums borrowed for the acquisition and installation of solar panels or heat pumps, on the grounds of insufficient profitability of these installations.», Adds the press release.

Millions of euros in five years

«The owners were approached by individuals claiming to be delegates of a consumer defense association and traveling to the consumers’ homes, making them hope for amicable compensation for damage of up to 40,000 euros, adds the Marseille prosecutor’s office. These so-called association delegates then directed the consumer towards a commercial company with which the consumer signed a service provision contract, for a consideration of several thousand euros, the contract however providing for the reimbursement of this sum in the event of failure. of the procedure.»

«In fact, the so-called association delegates appeared in reality to be salespeople paid on commission by the company and the amicable procedures initiated never resulted in the promised compensation, nor did the clause guaranteeing reimbursement in the event of failure, specifies the prosecution. These practices would have brought the company and the association several million euros in five years.»

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More than 650,000 euros seized

Following several reports, an investigation was opened, under the authority of the Marseille public prosecutor’s office, by the general directorate of competition, consumption and fraud repression (DGCCRF) of Doubs and Bouches-du-Rhône, the group Marseille interministerial research unit and the digital investigations unit of the national investigation service.

As a result of the investigations, the managers of a company and two associations were placed in police custody on December 6, accused of deceptive commercial practices in an organized gang and money laundering. During the searches, investigators seized more than 650,000 euros from the suspects’ bank accounts, as well as a car.

«At the end of their custody, the accused were released on condition that they subsequently respond to summons, the investigation continuing within the general framework of the fight against fraud linked to the telephone and door-to-door canvassing sectors. and energy renovation which are subject to close monitoring by the DGCCRF services», Specifies the prosecution, which calls on owners to be careful.

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2024-01-04 10:32:54
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