Railway fraudster unmasked in Vienne after four years of identity theft
A man arrested at Vienne railway station had been using the identity of a student from Lyon since 2022 to travel without paying, accumulating more than 5,000 euros in fines charged to the victim.
Railway fraudster unmasked in Vienne after four years of identity theft
A ticket inspection at Vienne railway station on 9 June 2026 led to the arrest of a man who had been impersonating a student from Lyon for four years in order to travel on trains without paying. This deception generated more than 5,000 euros in penalties in the name of the victim, who had discovered the scheme in 2022.
The young man, residing in the Lyon metropolitan area, had discovered that someone was using his identity documents to avoid tickets and penalties. Despite his repeated attempts to resolve the matter, the sums demanded continued to increase, including surcharges. In November 2025, the railway company had promised him that the infringement notices in his name would be automatically reclassified. Five months later, the Public Treasury was demanding a further 540 euros from him.
At the end of May 2026, the SNCF railway police took over the investigation. The case had already been under internal review for more than a year, with the aim of dismissing the offence reports. The individual inspected at Vienne railway station was matched with the suspect identified in surveillance footage.
Police established that the fraudster was using multiple identities, including that of the resident from Lyon as well as another person from Dijon. The Vienne prosecutor's office opted for the procedure of appearance with prior admission of guilt. The defendant will appear on 5 November 2026 to face approximately thirty counts of identity theft.
Losses resulting from fraud and identity theft in transport represent over 200 million euros annually for SNCF. The operator says it is committed to defending its customers, supporting those who have been harmed, and working alongside public authorities to combat all forms of railway crime.
Passengers who are victims are invited to contact the company's services via the website within three months of the date of the offence.
Source: Place Gre'net
Source: Google News FR — Crime (fr)