Beware of flyers offering fake services in Paris

The flyers show the colours of the Mairie of Paris and advertise the services of plumbers, locksmiths, and other professionals that repair utilities at home.

Old people are particularly vulnerable to being tricked into paying for false services.

The suspicious flyers usually show the Paris telephone number 3975 and the city’s coat of arms in various forms.

The Bureau du Patrimoine Immatériel (BPI) has teamed up with the Direction départementale de la protection des populations (DDPP) to take on the fraudsters.

Three 'companies' have so far been fined following investigations. They received € 28,000, € 90,000 and € 94,000 fines respectively.

People in the Paris area have been advised to hand over any suspicious flyers that land in their mailbox to the DDPP.

This can be done by mail or email, with an enclosed or attached copy of the flyer. Mail: Service Protection Économique du Consommateur, Direction Départementale de la Protection des Populations, 8 rue Froissart 75153 Paris Cedex 03. Email: ddpp@paris.gouv.fr, addressed to the Chef du Service de Protection Économique.