In Occitania, a group of five individuals were taken into police custody for fraudulently manipulating Linky meters, a practice which can be heavily punished.
Let’s take the direction of Gard where five people, aged 34 to 73, were arrested on November 14 for an alleged theft of electricity resulting from manipulation of Linky meters. The fraud consists of illegally opening meters to install electrical bypasses, allowing consumers to reduce their bills while masking the operation using a lead seal.
A falsification of Linky meters which is not without consequences
The falsification of electricity meters constitutes a violation of Enedis’ property rights, to be distinguished from the hidden socket which has caused so much talk in recent weeks. The case immediately reveals an increase in these fraudulent practices across France, fueled by financial pressure due to admittedly high energy costs.
In addition to the damage caused to Enedis, the diversion of energy is from a legal point of view considered theft, or even fraud. The planned sanctions include the regularization of bills on the basis of assumed consumption, fines of up to 45,000 euros, the payment of damages to the victim in the event of connection to the neighbor’s meter, as well as the payment of penalties. to the injured energy supplier.
A new trend in energy fraud
The national police, for their part, are continuing their investigation to determine the extent of this Linky meter trafficking affair, and to see if other people have possibly applied the same scheme.
This is a case of manipulation of Linky meters which highlights new trends in energy fraud in France. Obviously, the severe legal consequences associated with these practices, which are often ignored, are no longer enough to deter such behavior.
Source : InfoOccitanie
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