Faced with the constant rise in the price of electricity, some are ready to do anything to save a few euros, including illegally tampering with electricity meters to lower bills.
A 36-year-old man, from Gard, was arrested by the police for having tampered with Linky meters, but also old EDF models. According to investigators, the suspect offered his services to individuals who wanted to reduce their electricity consumption.
He made “deviations” on the meters, which then displayed figures lower than reality. He charged between 500 and 1000 euros per intervention, according to France 3 Occitanie. Arrested and placed in police custody, the man denied the facts, claiming he was just giving “advice” to clients.
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The scammer was quickly unmasked
But what attracted the attention of the police was the trafficker’s luxurious lifestyle. He owned a very expensive car, an Audi Q7, and had accumulated more than 80,000 euros in cash at home. Amounts which obviously did not correspond to his declared income.
When questioned, the man explained his lifestyle by donations from his family and associations. His partner, also in police custody, admitted that she was aware of her partner’s fraudulent activities. He was indicted and placed under judicial supervision.
This is not the first time that Linky meter traffickers have been arrested. In December 2023, two men were arrested in the North. They specialized in the trafficking of Linky meters on a large scale, and billed each of their services between 1,000 and 2,500 euros. Their clients, considered accomplices, risk prosecution.
We remind you that these practices are illegal and dangerous, because they can cause fires or electrocutions. Tampering with a meter can cost you up to 5 years in prison and a fine of 75,000 euros, whether you are the perpetrator or simply an accomplice in the acts in a residential premises. They are also harmful for the electricity network and for other users, who pay more to compensate for the fraud.