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‘Smishing’: Warning over this common scamming trick in France
It comes as 15-year-old is arrested near Bordeaux on suspicion of using this way of scamming to spend €12,000 of victims’ money on online shopping goods
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‘Professional scammer’ targeting people at airport in south-west France
Passengers are warned to be alert to a well-dressed man who often pretends to be an airline executive
Anti-pollution sticker hid scam with extra charge
Readers should beware a scam targeting drivers buying the Crit’Air pollution vignette that is obligatory in Paris and some other cities.
Reader Brian Lean, in Morbihan, said he bought a Crit’Air sticker online at www.vignettecritair-enligne.com believing it to be the official government site. However after receiving the €4.18 vignette for his Citroën he was shocked to see a sum of €29.90 taken from his bank account. He found the website was also charging him for an online magazine – with another sum due soon.
He spoke to his bank and tracked the company, LW-Bienpar, to ask for his money back. Happily his Cornish tenacity won out and he was repaid.
He said: “You have to be careful. I really thought I was using the government site.”
Paris and Grenoble have set up closed-circulation zones where Crit’Air stickers are obligatory and Lyon Villeurbanne will do the same in October with Lille and Strasbourg following.
The official Crit’Air site is certificat-air.gouv.fr
