A very well "organized" gang, but a starting prejudice "inflated with helium" and largely revised downwards: nine men were sentenced Friday in Paris for a scam consisting in posing on the phone for anti-fraud agents of banks. The sentences ordered by the criminal court range from two years in prison suspended to five years, four of which are closed. "Obviously the defendants did not invent the idea of pretending to be someone they trust," but the "hello" scam was "quite new" at the time of the facts, in 2021, begins by stressing the president, Guillaume Daieff.

The scam at the heart of the case is for criminals to pose as bank anti-fraud agents, after buying on the Internet personal data and credit card numbers of customers. They steal the bank's customer service call number through the technique of "spoofing" and, thanks to their insurance and good information, achieve their goals. Customers validate online purchases or money transfers to accounts opened only to receive funds, then transferred elsewhere or withdrawn in cash from ATMs.

Rooms on tap

The court found that the nine defendants - a tenth person was fully acquitted - had indeed acted "as an organized gang", and that the "division of tasks" was clear, whether for "associates" or "subordinates". "There is the one who buys the bank data, the one who calls the targets, the one who buys and provides the work phones" (we found 25), lists the president.

"The one who offers the goods to buy", "the one who provides the bank accounts" that will be used to "disburse" the stolen funds... Those who "rent" the beautiful cars to get around, and the luxury hotel rooms that will serve as a base "to work", he continues. These rooms had been bugged before the arrests. At the hearing, we heard how the victims were trapped by the honeyed voice and professional tone of the "allôteurs" - who did not lead wide during the broadcast of these excerpts.

DSK as a starting point

The investigations had revealed a luxurious lifestyle and in search, the investigators had found Louis Vuitton travel bags, Rolex watches, Celine sneakers, Dior sweatshirts, and a lot of state-of-the-art iPhone. Some 700 victims had been identified, including the former Minister of Finance, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who had validated against his will nearly 25,000 euros of purchase in a Cartier boutique. It was through him that the business had begun.



At the end of the investigation, the total damage was estimated at EUR 2.6 million. A figure "inflated with helium", had denounced the defense lawyers during the hearing. In total, the court will retain only 37 victims, whom the defendants will have to reimburse, and will estimate their total damage at 190,000 euros.

  • Miscellaneous facts
  • Court
  • Fraud
  • DSK