Organised fraud ring: nine suspects remanded in custody after targeting elderly people
A fraudulent doorstep selling scheme has been dismantled in Orléans, with 235 victims and an estimated loss of several million euros over eight years.
Organised fraud ring: nine suspects remanded in custody after targeting elderly people
The Orleans public prosecutor's office announced on Thursday 2 July the incarceration of nine individuals arrested at the end of June. They are suspected of having set up a criminal operation specialising in fraud and the exploitation of elderly people's vulnerability, as reported by franceinfo.
The case dates back to summer 2025, when a banking institution alerted investigators to unusual transactions. Police then uncovered a scheme targeting retirees in the Centre-Val de Loire region, the Paris region and neighbouring areas. In total, 235 people were identified as having been defrauded, with financial damage assessed at €3.6 million between 2018 and 2026.
Two companies based in Romorantin-Lanthenay (Loir-et-Cher) were at the heart of the operation. They approached vulnerable people by claiming to offer compulsory work to secure or thermally insulate their homes. The calls originated from telephone platforms located abroad. Victims were then forced to sign documents at exorbitant rates.
The nine suspects, considered the bosses of the two entities, were brought to justice for fraud, abuse of a person in a position of vulnerability in a group and conspiracy. They were placed in provisional custody.
Source: France Info