Social fraud in Val-d'Oise construction sector: €2.5 million loss, two detained
Two suspects were arrested on 9 September in a case of undeclared work targeting a construction company in Franconville. The estimated loss for Urssaf amounts to nearly 2.5 million euros.
Undeclared work in Franconville: two suspects detained, €1.7 million in assets seized
Two people were arrested on 9 September by gendarmes from the Central Office for Combating Illegal Work (OCLTI) and the Val-d'Oise gendarmerie group. They are suspected of having organised an extensive system of undeclared work within a construction and public works company based in Franconville. According to franceinfo - Justice, which consulted the statement from the directorate general of the national gendarmerie, the estimated loss for Urssaf stands at nearly 2.5 million euros.
Urssaf audit in late 2024, investigation opened in March 2026
The case originated in late 2024, when Urssaf carried out an audit of this construction company. The inspectors uncovered a "substantial" understatement of social security declarations, covering the period from late October 2021 to late December 2024. In March 2026, the prosecutor of the Republic for Pontoise decided to open a judicial investigation.
The OCLTI's investigations confirmed Urssaf's findings and revealed that the official manager of the company was merely a figurehead director. The investigators identified the true person responsible for the company as well as a family member, accused of laundering part of the proceeds from the fraud. This fraud allowed them to enrich themselves "notably through the purchase of real estate and various luxury items", according to the statement.
Over 1,700 transfers totalling 3 million euros, seven employment declarations
The numerical findings of the investigation are telling: over three years, more than 1,700 transfers to individuals were made, representing a total of over 3 million euros. During the same period, the company had made only seven prior notice declarations of employment. The total loss estimated by Urssaf is fixed at nearly 2.5 million euros.
The investigations also revealed that a second company benefited from the fraud. The main suspect is the legal manager of this company, and this second structure thus profited from "lower-cost labour". The de facto director of both companies resides in the Var.
Six properties and bank holdings seized
Following the detentions on 9 September, six properties belonging to the couple were seized. Their value is estimated at approximately 1.7 million euros. Assets held in bank accounts as well as luxury items were also confiscated.
The case has been transmitted to the prosecutor of the Republic, who "will decide on the criminal direction of this matter", the statement from the national gendarmerie specifies.
Source: franceinfo - Justice