Escrocs vs touristes : Comment vous prémunir des arnaques de l’été

Faux parkings, locations fantômes, menus piégés : ce documentaire enquête sur les arnaques de l’été qui ruinent les vacances des touristes. Une immersion choc pour comprendre les méthodes des escrocs et éviter le pire.

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Every summer, during our vacation, We come across all these roadside vendors who offer their local products. The products are very fresh, very good, and these are generally products that come from Provence. Is this still the case? To find out, Fraud inspectors are increasing their checks. Today, head to this little cabin located in a very touristy area of Provence. Jean-Luc Gomise, 51 years old, and his colleague Christophe, 32 years old. They are inspectors from Marseille. During the summer, They closely monitor the activity of these seasonal sellers. In this shop, we proudly display the origin of the products. The “Provence” label is indicated everywhere. A sales pitch that seems to be very successful with customers. Your selection criteria, it’s Provence Provence. So you’re willing to pay the price and want local products? That. To find out if the shopkeeper sells local products, Jean-Luc and Christophe go to the back room with a very specific idea. It is interesting to look at the labels which actually mention that these are tomatoes from Provence. We have the name of the producer. There is a code. So far, nothing abnormal. But investigators are intrigued by this closed door. SO, They ask the owner to give them access. We didn’t want to think because we didn’t want to break it. THANKS. Ah, yeah, but that, You know it’s going to do better than us. Finally, bloodhound, Jean-Luc and Christophe are used to searching. And they regularly make funny discoveries. It’s a package from Italy, Sicily. Origin of Morocco, which was indicated Provence. Italy, Spain, Morocco. It seems that the owner of this shop has a very broad notion of Provence. Facing the investigators, she tries to justify herself. There are no others because afterwards, we’ll see it. Between us, we tell ourselves, We are protected from consumers. Running out of arguments, The shopkeeper calls her brothers for help. It’s barely this good of her life. The little one. Frankly, I tell you the truth. We, we try to help him, a little bit of the pan. We can see that it’s good. So, we really try to help him. After, we are family, as you are told. Look at my brother from the ground, he leaves the room. We are tired. Afterwards, it may happen that there are a few errors. We will correct these errors, but the bad memories, This is the first time we’ve been stopped. Wait, Sir, Please. The first time you get stopped, You have to at least be a player with us. But the two men do their best, Jean-Luc and Christophe are inflexible. What do you want to tell me? No, No, but that’s not it. If we want to help you move forward on the right path, we are not here. If it’s to tell you, that, I’m doing well, I’m doing well, and we don’t tell you what’s wrong, it’s useless. The eldest of the siblings seems to have understood that his sister was going to get a hefty fine. He prefers to leave the room. For lying about the origin of certain early fruits and vegetables sold in his shop, This trader risks a fine of 4,500 euros and two years in prison. The procedure is still ongoing. And you will see that during the summer holidays, there are many tourist traps, sometimes with great harm to the victims. With nearly 85 million visitors each year, France remains the world’s leading tourist destination. A crowd that pushes certain professionals to break the law. It’s not a product, This is not your challenge. It’s not a question of rules, I’m not repeating anything. So, I wasn’t the best at everything, There is no problem. Lured by the lure of gain, Some market and fair vendors are ready to tell any lie. Reality, Mrs, It’s that when we arrived, They told us you had a mussel, that it was oil from France. There’s no French oil in it. In catering… Fraud inspectors are waging a fierce battle against those who disrespect anything. You’re going to throw it away. Or those who prepare their dishes in deplorable hygienic conditions. Mouse, First of all. You have mice, anyway. You have a lot of them, Sir No, listen, This is the second time. In Paris, to fight against tourist scams, The police have created a special unit. Turn around, Sir. Take your hand out of your pockets. Police officers from the tourist security unit are hunting down Bonto players who are robbing tourists without any qualms. They also organize anti-street vendor operations, delicate interventions, where the situation can quickly get out of hand. Just now, at 2 p.m., We had a CRS officer injured, He received a deliberate cough on the head. The other concern of the police, It is the anarchic proliferation of Romanian tuk-tuks that swindle holidaymakers. 50 euros per person Yes, You just told us 40 euros there. In the south of France, It is the seasonal rental scams that are causing havoc. And the victims number in the thousands. Since 2012, every summer, We have the same scenes. There are people arriving, who were scammed. Tenant or owner, No one is safe from these organized gangs, capable of usurping any identity. The scammer sent a photocopy of a passport in my name, but which is not mine at all. We will also discover the hidden side of the Nougat market, where anything goes to make a lot of money in a very short time. It’s a fall step. There is an hour of fall. Finally, We will fly to China, the world’s copy kingdom. My specialty, It’s about making money. An unusual journey that will take us to a remote place, deep in the countryside. Where hundreds of copies of original paintings are secretly painted, with only one destination: Montmartre. In the heart of summer, Fraud inspectors are on the alert. In their sights, the many restaurants that serve food to tourists. For some professionals, It’s a whole season played out in just a few months. So, each restaurateur comes up with their own little formula to attract passers-by. We meet Jean-Luc and Christophe in Aix-en-Provence, a town located 30 km from Marseille. Today, They go to the Place des Quarteurs, one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions. Aix-en-Provence is a city that welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors. So this tourist influx necessarily represents a financial windfall. For many professionals, Some might be tempted to break this rule of hygiene and loyalty to ensure a comfortable season. Restaurant menus are the first contact with the customer, A valuable tool for fraud inspectors, who carefully scrutinize all the information indicated. And after a few minutes of walking, Jean-Luc and his colleague are intrigued by a sign. There, There is a claim that is made to promote the preparations that are served in this establishment. All our products are fresh, cooked on site by the chef, every morning. It was conveniently placed on a street corner. It’s a very busy street. We will control them. Good morning, Sir, lady. It is a fraud prevention service. You are the chef Outside, we have an allegation. Fresh produce. Are you homemade? I’m there. Are you homemade? No, I have 2% frozen ones that are put down, This is puff pastry. So, there, On the other hand, He’s not the one who’s frozen. Come on, we’ll go see. Contrary to what is indicated on the map, Some of the products served in this restaurant are frozen. A first little lie that is far from being the last. It’s a tomato tartare that I’m buying. You buy it, That Yes. SO, you buy it, how So, it’s not homemade. The inspectors also discovered the chef’s Provençal tartare. Well packaged in its plastic box, The restaurateur is starting to get nervous. We are not on the fresh product In fact, we are on an assembly product made by me, made by someone I use. Which you use as a homemade product. Jean-Luc and Christophe They continue their search and discover entire tubs of Italian cheese. A priori, no worries, except for one detail. That, you put Grana Padano. It’s on your salads, that’s what you put, parmesan on the menu. Yeah. So, the Grana Padano, It’s not parmesan. It’s as if I were telling you, Sir, I’ll serve you some Gruyère cheese, I put Gruyère and I serve food. It’s not the same product. A deception that allows the restaurateur to make significant savings at the expense of his customers. Grana Padano costs 30% cheaper than parmesan. But that’s far from the most serious thing. In the basement of the establishment, Christophe discovers a whole stock of frozen products, whose use-by date has passed. Is it on the map too? No, it’s when I receive my cold cuts, I freeze it. In any case, it is under vacuum. I have the right. No, because I mean, you have done a home freeze, we will say. This is what the consumer does at home. She wasn’t leaving. No. This chef… Seems to ignore one of the basic rules of catering. When putting fresh food in the freezer, it loses some of its flavor and can also be contaminated by microorganisms. A process authorized for individuals, but not in a restaurant. So, there… No, No, That, You’re going to throw it in front of us. In front of the inspectors, The restaurateur throws the expired food into the trash one by one. Sausages, foie gras and even meat skewers, or around ten products in total. We’ll take stock later. Without the inspections, These foods could have ended up on tourists’ plates. SO, To make sure they stay in the bin, Jean-Luc asks the chef to spray them with bleach. You put in rice. You put some Go for it. So, It’s good. The restaurateur is committing multiple offenses. His establishment has only recently opened and he already knows that all this is likely to cost him dearly. But that’s nothing compared to what awaits Jean-Luc on the ground floor of the restaurant. There is a mouse there, in the trap. She is dead, that one? She’s stuck in the trap. So you still have mice? You have a lot of them, Sir No, listen, This is the second one I’ve seen. A mouse caught in a trap, in the middle of the kitchen where the restaurant’s dishes are prepared. Jean-Luc can’t believe his eyes. It seemed a bit big to me for cockroach traps. Me, I am not a pest control specialist, of eradication. But sorry It’s a vape too, Normally. Immediately, Inspectors are asking to check the measures put in place to stem the proliferation of insects and rodents. Jean-Luc looks at the maintenance log and the technician’s last visit was over a month ago. So there, She noticed mouse passage, Already. He had raised the bar and basement. So there comes the presence, He confirmed the presence of rodents in the premises. This restaurateur will therefore have to take radical measures. If he doesn’t want his restaurant to be closed. THE owner tries to play on the heartstrings, But he risks having to pay a fine of more than 10,000 euros. From now on, He has only a few days to comply with the law. Attention, if it’s not done, we are no longer in the contravention, we are in the crime. We are on 15,000 euros fine and two years imprisonment. We are in the crime. All right ? So it is with a dejected look that the restaurateur begins his lunch service. Bye, Have a good day. Come on, Goodbye, Have a good day. Come on, Goodbye, Sir, Good day. But you can already erase, That, you have it erased today. We are likely to come back. Come on, Goodbye. After the restaurant… Jean-Luc and Christophe take the opportunity to make a short detour to the Aix-en-Provence market. Summer, It is very popular with tourists who come here to look for good local products. We’ll start with the one over there. Jean-Luc knows that this period is conducive to all excesses and lies. Attracted by the crowd, Some retailers are taking advantage of this to increase their margins by reselling at high prices early fruits bought at knockdown prices abroad. Madam, you are the stand manager Alright, It’s Mr. Levy, Mr. Goumis. The Fraud Prevention Service. On this stand, Jean-Luc notices several worrying anomalies. At this time, The market is crowded. So, he speaks to the shopkeeper in a low voice. You put the origin for certain products. We will check if there are any products from Provence, from France. And I observe that on your slates, for foreign products, you don’t put origin. No, since from France, for the foreign market, We have a request, we live, It comes from Spain. No, but you have to score, whatever the origin, you are obliged to mark the origin. How long have you been doing the… It’s been You have been in business for 25 years. Have you been making fruits and vegetables for 25 years? For 25 years, She would therefore have flirted with the law without ever having been worried, notably using a little trick that Jean-Luc knows well. We can clearly see that the fonts are arranged so that the customer cannot see the label. Because the label, she is behind. So here, Surely there can be good eyes, but nevertheless, here, The Spanish origin is clearly visible on the package. In all, Jean-Luc spots six products, the origin of which is not indicated. The shopkeeper tries to justify herself. Someone is asking me where it comes from or I’m not going to tell them. You know, Mrs, The best way to know about it, It’s about putting yourself in the consumer’s shoes. We, we do nothing more, nor anything less than put ourselves in the consumer’s shoes. Consumer protection, This is the priority of the fraud repression inspectors. SO, to deter traders, like this woman, from breaking the rules, The penalties incurred are exemplary. Either we call it a commercial, offensive part. In which case, it is punishable by a fine of up to 300,000 euros. Either we qualify this as a lack of marking of origins, And there, it’s 1,500 euros per package. In the end, This trader risks a fine of 9,000 euros. The investigation is still ongoing. Every summer, Marseille fraud inspectors have observed an average of 2,000 offences and issued more than 170 reports. Thanks to their work, Holidaymakers can continue to enjoy good products without any aftertaste. Heading to Paris, where the tourist season is also in full swing. In this month of July, The streets are filled with vacationers who have come to admire the architectural treasures of the capital. But this crowd also attracts scammers of all kinds, who have a thousand and one ways to rob tourists. Street vendors, tuc-tuc, cap games, pickpocketing. The phenomenon has grown so widespread that the Paris police prefecture has posted a video online, translated into several languages, to warn tourists. Don’t make it easy for pickpockets, Do not leave anything in the back pockets of pants or bags. Faced with this threat, which seriously damages the prestigious image of Paris in the hearts of tourists, A tourist security unit was created last April. Composed of around thirty men and women, This unit operates in the wealthy neighborhoods, in an area considered sensitive, located between the Trocadéro and the Champ de Mars. The headquarters of this special unit, called US3T, is located in the basement of the 7th arrondissement Central Police Station. Since 2015… The police uniform has become considerably more comprehensive. Bulletproof vests are mandatory. And each agent carries several kilos of equipment with him. Sandrine, the head of department, tells the police the day’s objectives. Today, TP Bravo, Bonne Tau specialty. You try, Yeah, Yeah, to leave for the Merde sector. In the middle of summer, the bête noire of law enforcement, These are the improvised games of good tau in the street. The principle is simple, A handler hides a ball among three cones and asks tourists if they want to try to find it. To encourage them to play, Accomplices pretend to be real players and win every time. A crowd ends up attracting tourists, like on this other gaming table. This Dutchman, on the left of the picture, ends up trying his luck and loses his money. With a starting bet of 50 euros, the scam is profitable. Our Dutch tourist is already kicking himself. Did you just lose 50 euros? Yes, It’s true, but my wife doesn’t know. Orchestrated by organized gangs from Eastern countries, Good-value games allow the mafia networks that control them to earn several thousand euros in a single day. Once their briefing is over, The police officers from the tourist security unit leave the police station. Unlike their colleagues, They leave their car in the garage and take the subway. For Jordan, 27 years old, and his colleagues, It’s the best way to go unnoticed. “- They are very, very well organized. They take care of the phones, the earpieces. A bit like us, In fact, They work like us. It’s the best strategy that they win, in quotation marks.” As an experienced police officer, Jordan already knows where scammers are likely to set up shop. “- So there, This is what we call the Australian Walk, here, just opposite. So he does all the cable in bed, to the Eiffel Tower. And in general, all the cabbages, All of Bonto’s lookouts are in that alley. After a few minutes of observation, The police identified a man with surprising behavior. Did you see the guy with the blue jacket? there ? It looks everywhere, there. Yeah, it’s heating up, there. Jordan and his colleagues think they have spotted a lookout hidden behind the bushes. Quickly, They identify the rest of the gang, which would be composed of 6 individuals in total. Ah, there, we see them well. We have the whole team with the old one. The guy, with his leather jacket, the three girls. And bingo, we are on Bonto, there. Barely installed, However, Bonto’s players decided to break camp. They all move, there. Oh, they will cross. Jordan begins to wonder if their presence has been detected. SO, So as not to lose their tracks, The police officer radioed his colleagues on bicycles to ask them to follow them. It is located on the Quai Branly, facing the Australian promenade, towards Atour FM. After a few minutes, Jordan receives confirmation that Bonne Tau’s players have settled a few hundred meters from their position. Good, we decide, guys, what do we do? We take a car Stop the marine there. To get there, The police ask a civilian car to take them. Good morning, It’s the police, sir. Do you mind taking us, so that we can be dropped off at Branly Because we have to go see people. No, but stay in it! No, stay, you are the one driving, Just, we’ll go up with you. When I tell you to stop, you will have to stop right away, ok? Sir will drop us off. In fact, there would be good rate players and that would allow us to possibly see the table in Flag and intervene. And being able to challenge these people, it’s good, it’s not straight to the right, I tell you a little and cheeks say Stop, it’s stop. The police officers approach and quickly identify the suspected crooks they had seen a few minutes earlier in black, big way. The top action is given surprised by the speed of action of the police. The players offer no resistance and are with them. I see if there are any victims, Jordan goes towards passersby to find out if one of them has just gambled a sum of money. No, You played Play Now, OK. For the police, finding a victim is essential, because their testimony would allow them to characterize the offense as fraud. An offense punishable by 5 years in prison and a fine of 375,000 euros. That, I keep on me, All right ? After verification, Jordan and his colleagues will find only a few tickets about the alleged scammers. Most of them will be summoned to court. As for the seized material, it will be destroyed. We’re going to put everyone in the TC In their fierce fight against illicit gambling organized in the streets of Paris, these policemen… Can count on valuable support, that of video surveillance cameras, scattered throughout the capital. In the area between the Trocadéro and the Champ de Mars, there are about fifteen of them. It’s here, in this secluded room in the 7th arrondissement police station, named the director station, that all images are captured and recorded. Just retired, well done, 10-07. Yes, Good morning. Thanks to a joystick, Each station operator can direct the cameras as they wish. Equipped with a zoom, They allow police officers, like Sandrine, to quickly detect the slightest anomaly. We’re going to have an individual who’s going to start settling in. He bends down, he settles down, he puts his little cups, all that. Sandrine spotted a table of bonnetons on the Yéna bridge which spans the Seine opposite the Eiffel Tower. She warns Jordan. We will have the manipulator who has installed himself, the one before, which is also installed, but which is put in getter. That, it will be the whole table of Bundo. Okay, ok. What do you get out of doing video surveillance like this? It’s our eyes when we’re on the field. So they can bring us the escape directions, victims, descriptions of individuals. They can see everything in relation to the cameras. So, for us, It’s super important. There, We will be able to immediately recognize the individuals we saw on the surveillance video. So, in terms of descriptions, right away, It’s going to catch our eye. Not a minute to lose, Jordan leaves with his team towards the suspected crooks. Once there, The police will receive a decisive radio call which will trigger the arrest. This time, Jordan intends to identify victims of the hat games in order to put the gang of alleged crooks out of action. Once the gang was apprehended, One of the police officers sets out to search for the victims, whose description he obtained from his colleagues on CCTV. Yes, it’s supposed to be rolling. So, we just arrested them, So you wrote that you are rolling. Yes, I am announcing the arrest of six Bonto players with three victims. Mission accomplished for the police. The Bonto player and his accomplices seem resigned. They will now have to explain themselves at the police station. One after the other, The various members of this alleged organized gang will be searched and then questioned by the police. Come on, sit down over there. Despite the facts with which he is accused, This woman, located on the right of the image, tries to minimize the seriousness of her actions. The victims, who come from the south of France, can’t believe they fell so easily into the trap set by the alleged scammers. We had a sick family from the visit to Paris. We put the sign on the edge of life. There are people who have won. They thought it was avoidable. We tried. We said to ourselves, but the others, They shot. Why us, We wouldn’t make it So we play, Except that what is at risk, It’s that we’re pumped. We bet, So it was 50 euro bets. And every time we returned from Bobel, the face was never there. Really, we never won. Amount of damages to these tourists, 150 euros. The start of their little family weekend is definitely ruined. Come on, are you coming with me? For defrauding tourists with an illicit gambling game, some members of the gang… They were escorted back to the border and banned from returning to the country. The others, brought before an investigating judge. A victory that the police do not really have time to savor, Because here, the interventions follow one another and are not alike. Jordan and his team have just been called in to help evacuate a group of street vendors behaving violently. A stone’s throw from the Eiffel Tower… Jordan finds the police officers already present on the scene. The situation is tense, facing them, about thirty men. They feel much stronger together. You can see, There were some who gave the finger. The one with the red plaid jacket. Jordan and his colleagues surround the group of men and push them outside the perimeter. The police keep their distance to avoid any accidents. Because a little earlier in the day, the situation got out of hand. Just now, at 2 p.m., We had a… A wounded CRS2, He held a reflex knife to his head. And they don’t hesitate, What. Fathers chase daughters away. For them, These are sticks for self-defense. An act of violence that would make headlines that day. The accused is a 19-year-old undocumented immigrant. Leo, Are you going right? Gradually, street vendors are retreating. But some of them do not hesitate to challenge the police. So, Jordan prefers to wait. It’s good, It’s good, It’s good, It’s good, It’s good, It’s good, It’s good, It’s good, It’s good. The evacuation ended without any injuries. But Jordan already knows that he will have to repeat the experience in a few hours. They are quite dangerous, They are quite aggressive. They approach tourists, They are really insistent. They do not propose these limits, they impose the sale. So, yeah, This is a major public safety issue. And street vendors aren’t the only ones in the police’s sights. There are also the Tuktuk Zilego which are proliferating. You must not come back here. All right ? We must stop. All right ? Got it. You should not park here. What are we going to do? Well, nothing. Either you become illegal and do what you have to, or nothing at all. Located all over the capital, These unapproved vehicles transport tourists who are often unaware of the danger. Because most of these machines are not insured. In case of accident, passengers are not covered. Jordan therefore discourages his tuktuks. To park near the Eiffel Tower. We’ll have to go there and not stay here. All right ? As per usual. We’re leaving. We take the dog and you leave. If the police officer is so expeditious, This is because most of its drivers would have set up a little scheme to scam tourists. They take advantage of it, they offer a race and in the end, at the finish of the race, It’s never the same price. To understand how they do it… We slipped into the shoes of a tourist equipped with a discreet camera. We went to meet a Tuktuk driver, parked near the Grand Palace. 20 euros for 2 km of running, It’s a bit expensive, but good. We board, heading for the Trocadero. From the outset, The Tuktuk uses the cycle path even though it is prohibited. And we’re not at the end of our surprises. In defiance of the highway code, The man drives on pedestrian crossings and even uses the bus lane. A few moments later, we arrive at our destination. 2 or 3 photos, souvenirs. And we ask our driver to take us back to our starting point. The return fare is the same as the outward fare. So far, nothing abnormal. But once you get to the bridge, we will quickly become disillusioned. So how much is it? It’s 40 euros. That’s not what you told us. You said 40 euros. Suddenly, This driver just remembered he had a price list. The price of our race was not global, but for one person only. So we have to pay the driver 80 euros for the round trip. But in a few seconds, the price will rise further. How much is the total 50 euros per person. What Yes. 50 euros per person Yes. You just told us 40 euros, there. It’s been an hour, it’s not been an hour, there. The driver wants to charge us 100 euros for an hour’s ride, while we only stayed with him for half an hour. We refuse to pay. By dint of arguing, He finally gives us a discount. In the end, We pay 60 euros for a 4 kilometer run. The same journey would have cost us 10 euros on average with a taxi. Like hundreds of vacationers, We have just been victims of a perfectly executed little scam. But every summer, There are also a proliferation of scammers of a completely different scale, who are difficult for law enforcement to arrest. As the summer season approaches, always the same ritual. The French are on the lookout for the slightest bargain to find a cheap vacation rental. On average, Their budget is 1,084 euros for a week. But the closer you get to the sea, the more the prices skyrocket. So, to find the rare pearl, The French are looking for good deals on specialist sites, particularly for rentals between individuals. In summer, Demand is such that some of these offers are actually real scams. Which bring in several tens of thousands of euros for their authors. Last summer, Gerard, 48 years old, paid the price. On an online classifieds site, he finds an apartment with exceptional amenities. In addition to being well equipped, The accommodation has a balcony terrace and a state-of-the-art kitchen. There was even a swimming pool, not far from the sea, We could go there on foot. So that was interesting, The price was… Correct 550 euros per week, which came to 1100 euros over two weeks. After exchanging emails with the owner, Gérard receives a signed rental contract. He returns it with the sum of 300 euros requested to guarantee the reservation. A few Weeks later, Gerard and his family set off for Hargeler on the sea, happy at the idea of being all together again. But after a long journey as soon as we arrived on site, Gerard senses that something is wrong. What struck me a little, There were already a lot of people waiting outside. And there were even people who were crying. And arrived at the gate of the building, There was a person who stopped us and asked us if it was for a rental. I tell him yes, It’s for a rental. And he asks us for our contract. So I present our contract to him. And right away, He told us it was a scam. If there were so many people crying that day, This is because they were all victims of the same scam. Here are some tips to help you spot it. The EsCroC usually starts by choosing an attractive ad and posing as an interested customer to the owner. He thus obtains a rental contract with all the information. With this document, he will create a fake ad. Be careful, therefore, even when you receive a proper contract, it’s never a guarantee. Before signing, It’s recommended to do your own research. For example, by checking that the description and photos of the property offered for rental don’t appear in multiple listings, which is often a sign of a fraudulent offer. Because scammers are far away, even if it doesn’t belong to several people at the same time. And asks for an account. In Gérard’s case, 300 euros vanished into thin air. But for others who had paid the full amount, the loss exceeded 1,000 euros. There are families who came down from the North with young children. And it was these people who were crying. They were left with nothing. It hurts, What. We don’t blame the person. That day, Gerard finds himself on the street, 600 km from home. To avoid completely ruining your vacation, he will eventually find last-minute accommodation located in the mountains, 2 hours from the beach. Swimming, That will be for another time. On the way to the police station, he discovers the extent of the scam of which he was a victim. When I went to file a complaint with the police, I spoke with the policeman. And they were in the 60s, about 70 complaints for this apartment. After investigation, The police have identified 100 victims in this particularly lucrative scam, which would have brought in more than 30,000 euros for its author, still on the run. The city of Argelès-sur-Mer is not an exception, however. In the region, The number of municipalities affected by this worrying phenomenon continues to grow every year. François David, journalist on a local radio station, handled several of his cases using a similar modus operandi. It has become a recurring topic, that is to say that it is part of the subjects that we will now deal with every summer. The first matter for us, it was 2012, where for the first time, We saw dozens of people arriving in front of the same house who had been scammed. And since 2012, every summer, we have the same scenes in July, in August. People arriving, who were scammed. For owners too, Vacation rental scams have become a real source of concern. In Mimisan, in the Landes, Yvan Alquier has bitter memories of it. We arrive at the villa that was the target of the scam last summer. It’s a villa, We are 500 meters from the ocean. I don’t know if you hear, but we hear the sound of the waves. For many years I have had the pleasure of welcoming people who came here on holiday and who were, Generally speaking, very happy with their stay. In this case, The scammer went even further in his deception. To attract more and more people, He did not hesitate to usurp Yvan’s identity. The scammer sent a photocopy of a passport in my name, But which is not mine at all, Since we can clearly see that the photo on this passport, it’s not mine. But it is therefore the same identity that appears on the false contracts, where it is indeed my name, my first name. However, the date of birth, the place of birth are not the same. As soon as Yvan becomes aware of the scam, He quickly contacted the site hosting the fake ad. The owner then thinks that everything will return to normal quickly. They answer me “Hello, thank you for your message. After rereading the announcement, This one actually seems dubious. We will therefore remove it from the site and users who have come into contact with this scam will be notified.” Shortly after his withdrawal, the ad is reposted by the scammer. A long battle then begins between the owner and the perpetrator of the scam. That, This is a small example. Publications that were repeated throughout the month of February, the month of June. Knowing that in the best case scenario, Le Bon Coin removed the ad a few hours later. In some cases, He only took it off 3-4 days later. For 5 months, Yvan is going to be inundated with calls. Because the SCAMMER did not change the phone number on the fake ad. On the other end of the line, Yvan finds himself faced with crying or unhappy tenants, whose existence he does not know. A constant pressure that will lead him to separate from his home. In my opinion, There was negligence on the part of Boncoin. At the very least. This negligence, unfortunately, has had dire consequences for all those who have been defrauded. Faced with this lack of reaction, We wanted to know the position of those responsible for the site. Here are their responses received by email. We do not communicate figures, but the number of complaints is currently tiny. Yet… As you continue reading, We understand that the site is aware of its flaws. We are also working on a system allowing secure art deposit. But it is still at the planning stage. With 800,000 ads posted every day, It seems that the website is still struggling to sort out fact from fiction. A boon for scammers of all kinds. SO, to avoid ruining your vacation, vigilance is required. In the south of France… We meet the Marseille fraud inspectors. Today, Jean-Luc Gomis comes to Saint-Rémy-de-Provence to inspect the vendors at one of the region’s most renowned markets. He is accompanied by Audrey, 32 years old. Jean-Luc spotted someone selling olive oil, so we know that it is possible that she will cross, So we’re going to go check that out. For 16 years, he hunts down the more scrupulous sellers, so he knows where to find them. Last year, He has already checked this saleswoman who was selling foreign olive oil, passing it off as a local product. To find out if she has changed her behavior, They pretend to be customers. “In my environment, there are 30% of olive from Italy. “30% olive from Italy, All right. ” ” No, olive. “Olive, All right. And the rest, it’s 70% olive oil from… But local? “From here.” ” All right, It’s oil. ” Yes, Yes. ” Full of enthusiasm, The exhibitor tells the story of her olives. And to trigger the purchase, She doesn’t hesitate to play on feelings. A mill, In fact, That’s what you say. We lose a little shot. All right, You are an olive miller. All right. Its olive oil would therefore be 70% French. The 30% The remaining would come from the European Union. An argument that doesn’t go down well with Jean-Luc at all. Continue 27 tiles for French oil. Ah, no, I showed you the sentence. No, but on the other hand… Reality, Mrs, It’s that when we arrived, you told us you had a mill, that it was oil from France. There are no French olives in it. If Jean-Luc is also affirmative, is that, according to him, Olive oil made in France costs at least double. Considering the price, You can’t get olive oil from France for 2 euros a liter. Because olive oil from France, It doesn’t even represent 1%. of global production. So, when we have olive oil from France, we will not mix it with other foreign oils. For having hidden from its customers the exact origin of its products, She risks a fine of 1,500 euros and a two-year prison sentence. The investigation is still ongoing and you will see that it is not an exception. Every summer, The Bouches-du-Rhône welcomes 9 million tourists who come to discover the small villages and their numerous markets. With its 100 exhibitors, The one in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence is one of the most popular. Tourists can find souvenirs there, fruits and vegetables or artisanal products. It’s really typical of France, from Saint-Rémy. It’s beautiful. The pie, the wine, Provençal herbs. We are very happy. Jean-Luc and Audrey continue their check-up. After the olive oil seller, They have another target in sight this morning. I’m going to go to a nougat stand because one of the vendors is an artisan. She told me that many resellers were pretending to be nougat producers. To find out how the seller presents his products to tourists, Audrey… Play the customer, mystery. You have some redis, here you have Marron glacé, here you have pistachio, bitterly caramelized. Nutella. Tiramisu, the fruit of the forest, the fruit of drinking it. All right, it’s your confiscation, there That’s it. All right, ok. In addition, we have the little bag of candy, They are nice. The exhibitor, who is around fifty years old, presents himself as a confectioner. Everywhere on his stand, He even offers bags in his brand colors. In this summer month… Many tourists want to bring back a small souvenir from the region, So the orders come one after another. The Saint-Rémy-de-Provence market is located just 100 km from Montélimar. Audrey will therefore try to find out where this exhibitor’s products are manufactured. It’s nougat from Montélimar Ah OK. It’s your making. You make it with real Nutella then Yes, hazelnut paste. You make your hazelnut paste All right. After letting the salesperson present his sales pitch, The inspectors finally show up. Claims presented to consumers are verified. In this regard, we pretend to be mystery shoppers. Facing Audrey, The seller indicated that he made his own nougats. The first action of the inspectors is therefore to check whether the man has indeed told them the truth. That, it comes from your home No, That, It comes from my home. Is there nougat in it? Yes, there are nougats, but not everything. What is your status? Sir Me, I am a craftsman, originally. We are being made to count, It’s a lab right now. Sir, I understand you, I hear you. Yes, Yes, Yes. So, I ask you the question. As of today, What is your status today? As we speak, that it slides less at small angles. “Concretely, these products, Are they made in your lab? You don’t have a lab? ” No, because I don’t have a lab anymore.” “You don’t have a lab.” ” No, No. ” ” The problem, It’s because they are not your products.” ” Yes, but after, I try to do… So, I don’t know. ” The man stammers, repeats the same sentence over and over, but half-heartedly, He has just admitted to the inspectors that the products sold on his stall were not his own. Jean-Luc continues his research and discovers a card written in Italian. So, here it is, we can clearly see that it is written. Visibly, If we label these boxes, This is not a product that is made here. But hey, It’s over because we kept getting… Yes, but sir… We kept relabeling ourselves. We kept relabeling ourselves. We kept relabeling ourselves. We tried to work and we were unable to do a relabeling. We tried to work and we were unable to do a relabeling. Actually, I will tell you sincerely, me who is in REC, I’m not risking anything. When he poses as a local nougat producer, He openly lies to his clients. Lemon delights, Your supplier Italy. SO, Next, almonds and dark chocolate Nutella Chocolate Fondant Italy. The control is coming to an end. An opportunity for Audrey to give a good moral lesson to this unscrupulous man. Your speech was really too scary for the consumer. So, stop this practice, That’s what matters most. And then me, I will hear you on the elements and communicate to me everything I have asked you. Summoned to explain himself a few days later, the exhibitor never showed up. A criminal offense punishable by two years’ imprisonment and a fine of 300,000 euros. The investigation is therefore still ongoing. And it’s not just nougat. In the Top 5 of the biggest scams on the markets, We find Corsican charcuterie at the top, of which 90% of the production actually comes from imported pigs. Marseille Soap, 90% manufactured in China. A country that supplies most of the fake local products sold in the markets, like honey or even ayolle knives. There are also herbs from Provence, grown in Poland, in Morocco and Turkey. In the markets of the south of France, fewer and fewer tourists are fooled, like this couple from Pau, on vacation in the region. It’s a bit of a tourist trap, somewhere, to make people believe that a product comes from here, of the region, While this is clearly not true. So, we have to be vigilant about what we consume, what we buy. It spoils things a little, the little sun, little Provence, It spoils things a bit. Our country is losing a little of its identity. This case of fake confectioners has piqued our curiosity. In Provence, Nougat is considered an institution. In the markets, It is often sold by the piece at very high prices. At our dealer, It is offered at almost 6 euros per 100 grams. But how much is the nougat sold by this man really worth? How can holidaymakers buy it without getting ripped off? We decided to investigate. Thanks to the documents seized during the inspection, We have traced the seller’s supplier. This is an Italian factory that sells its nougat by the slice. As we continue our research, we find an importer of these products in France. On the Internet… They boast of selling Italian nougat that is much better than that of Montélimar. Intrigued, We call the number at the bottom of the ad and pretend to be a potential buyer. Good morning, Actually, I’m contacting you because I came across an ad for nougat. There you mention 85 varieties available. How do we find out what varieties you have available? All right. On the phone, The man is suspicious and does not want to tell us his prices. So we make an appointment with him for the next day. THANKS. The wholesaler is located in the suburbs of Paris. After an hour’s drive, we arrive in a residential area. From this moment on, We film with a discreet camera. Here is the address given and the surprise. It is a small residential pavilion. Good morning, are you doing well ? I didn’t expect to come across something like this. That’s it, This is the task. Oh yes, you do everything Me, I do… My two areas of activity, It’s the candy store. My second activity, It’s all about kitchen motherhood. It ranges from products, presentation, cakes to the dough, The senate, all that. All right. After a short tour of the premises, The wholesaler wants to know the reasons that led us to meet him. We then tell him about the exhibitor from Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, who sold Italian nougat and made tourists believe he made it. Him, Frankly, He blew me away. Good, That, it’s artisanal, it’s done at my house, Thing and all, It’s 5 km from here, tac, tac, tac. He makes glasses. Square glasses, Yeah. You know No, but it is Archetism, that is to say, it is the artist. He saw the reaction, he never made any money in his living, but it looks good. We trust him because he is of a certain age. I found you the guy’s model because he’s old, he sells nougat, If he says he makes, people will believe it. You can change things. I work for my father-in-law who makes nougat. People don’t go there to check. My friends have a beautiful story. We have to take them somewhere. People, When I am at a market, nougat is still nougat. It’s sugar with closed force, with egg whites. You did it the day before in your lab. It’s said. Put in confidence, The wholesaler offers us to buy 4 kg nougat cakes in order to cut them according to our needs. We will finally know the cost price of these sweets made in Italy. If I start with a 4 kg cake, with you, I can buy it. How much for? 4 kg, there will be 50 of us. Not 50 euros? Yeah. 50 euros. The cake? Roughly. Amazing. The wholesaler… Just offered to buy us Italian nougat for 12.50 euros per kilo, While the seller in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence was selling it for 59 euros per kilo, or 5 times more expensive. After a final exchange, We take leave with the wholesaler. After just one date, we understood that the Nougat trade was a real business, ensuring significant income. To certain dealers at fairs and markets. A situation that is now worrying the last remaining French nougat producers. Rebellious craftsmen who, you will see it, have not said their last word. In France, when we talk about nougat, The first word that comes to mind, It’s Montélimar. Today, There are still around ten of them who make it by hand. Like here, in this house created in 1949. His boss, Hervé Contot, has been making nougat with passion for over 30 years. Hello ladies and gentlemen, You can come closer. Because buying nougat is good, but see how it is made and with what ingredients, it’s even better. Created in the 16th century, the recipe for Montélimar nougat remains unchanged. Honey, sugar, egg whites. Vanilla, almonds, pistachios and above all, lots of love, according to the boss. We look at it, we see it rising. It’s a bit like when you undress. A pretty woman, In fact. It’s sensual, this confectionery. For several years now, This artisan, who loves Nougat, is fighting to protect the Nougat de Montélimar name. Without success, because today, he is subject to unfair competition from the many resellers established in the Provençal markets. The reseller, him, What he wants, It’s lining your pockets. So Coef 3, Coefficient 4, he plasters, the consumer. But since he’s a street vendor like that, It will last a season. He made his money and was done. But who is picking up the tab behind their manufacturers? Hervé has trouble hiding his anger. And there is reason to. He cannot prevent a reseller from buying nougat that is worse than his own and reselling it for 3 to 4 times the price. It is therefore difficult for the consumer to really know what he is buying. So, just one piece of advice, taste. When you eat it and you have this honey flavor that invades your mouth, this vanilla flavor, We know that there, we have a good product. So, it is up to the customer to be extremely vigilant. Already, try to make sure it has the manufacturer’s mark. So, if you have a nougat that comes from Trifouillis-les-Oies and sold with a postal code that comes from an Eastern European country, you give up. Every year. 3,500 tonnes of nougat are produced by the artisans of Montélimar for a turnover of around 31 million euros. A rapidly expanding market, which has therefore not finished arousing desire. And it’s not the only one. On the heights of Paris, Montmartre. Jerome Feugueur, 44 years old, starts his day. I’m doing well How are you Jérôme is one of the 300 painters accredited by Paris City Hall to work on the famous Place du Tertre. We, we are a little part of the furniture. We are a bit like actors, a bit of actors. finally. Ended up blending into the background. Tourists come here to seek out the Paris of yesteryear, with its small cobbled streets, its terraces and its very special atmosphere. While some are having their portrait taken, others are simply looking for a souvenir to hang in their homes. This is the case with these Canadian tourists. If we can see the artists and it’s in place, it’s really beautiful. But today, Jerome’s location barely allows him to earn a living, Because sales of paintings are declining. Small formats, have a good day, We’re going to sell about ten of them. For large formats, have a good day, We’re going to sell one, maybe two. And there you have it, it’s very random, In fact. It’s not very regular. In question, the many shops spread around the square. According to Jerome, She would take advantage of the attraction exerted by the painters to resell simple copies at high prices. We, we are the real ones. So, now, If people want to buy oven, we warn them, we tell them to be careful, in this area, You’re going to get accosted. There are galleries behind. We warn them, We tell them here. These people don’t have permission. They harm us because afterwards, tourists, visitors make the amalgamation. They say to each other, They’re all crooks. Well, no, We, we are the real one and we paint in front of you. To know if Jerome is telling the truth, We pretend to be tourists looking for a painting of Paris. Equipped with a discreet camera, We enter a first shop in order to find out the author of the paintings exhibited in the gallery. So who is it? So, the painter It’s Mr. Rooster, back. He is in the square I don’t think so. He’s in retraction, in my opinion. Him, he is in the square. That’s life. That So this, This is one of his last paintings. So I think, Yes. He still paints a lot for his career. There is one there, there is one there. For someone who stopped painting… The seller of this first shop seems rather embarrassed when we ask him if this painting was painted in Place du Tertre. On the other hand, It is impossible to know if this is a copy. So we continue our visit to the shop next door. That’s good work, That’s good. It’s a good job. Yeah, 279 anyway. I did 199. I did 279. I made 80 euros. On the other hand. In a flash, The price of this painting has just dropped by 30%. A commercial gesture that leaves some doubts as to the originality of this painting signed by a certain François. François, This is the painting. Yes, who is It is a product, It’s a thing. He is a foreigner or he is French He is French, but he just learned. Ah OK. He just admitted to us that the painting was not painted here. But then, who are these mysterious François, Paul Carrier or Burnett, who signed this painting Real artists or just ghosts? It is in a third store that we will obtain a first element of response. “White friends, What. ” “White friends, Yeah. ” ” It’s what ? ” “I need 20 women too, I don’t have any behind me.” “Minus 10, What. ” “I have the following life, look at. ” ” It’s what, “Is it the orders like that?” “It’s the kind of commands.” ” Yeah, These are the orders. “You’re the one who makes them, people. ” Luckily, We have just witnessed an exchange between a shop assistant and what appears to be her painting supplier. So we decide to follow this man into the street. We find him behind a van filled with canvases. I have a shop in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. I came to Montmartre because in my shop, I would like to have paintings of Provence, landscapes that are somewhat typical of France. Building trust, The supplier reveals to us the secret location where these paintings are made. According to this provider, Many Parisian souvenir shops reportedly sell Serbian paintings depicting the great monuments of Paris. So that’s 10, 22. And the little 6. According to him, These cheap canvases would be sold for between 30 and 60 euros in stores. But in the kingdom of copying, he wouldn’t be the one offering the best rates. In Paris, you have Chinese paintings, This is what the traders buy, you will see, everything that is sold in the gold coin, all that, It’s from China. The difference in quality between the work done in Serbia and in China, SO, as a result ? Me, I don’t remember anyone knowing the Chinese woman. We are in Europe. New information has been exploited. So, we return to the store where we met the supplier to try to find out more. The saleswoman in the shop suspects us of being a journalist. The Serbian supplier who followed us is right next to us. We are trying to defuse the situation. Ah, no, No, No, we’ll say no, No. The wholesaler spotted our camera. We leave the shop in a hurry. Determined to continue the investigation, We will soon discover that behind these mysterious painters are hidden artists with rather unexpected profiles. On the Internet, We found the contact of a wholesaler in China who specialized in the reproduction of Parisian paintings. He agrees to meet us. Heading to Tafen, in the southeast of China, 11 hours flight from France. Once landed, we join Di, our interpreter on site. It is this that will allow us to decipher the workings of the painting copy business. An art that has been perpetuated for almost 30 years in Chinese Montmartre, Tafen. Wholesalers and individuals come from all over the world to stock up on copies of original paintings. Because here in China, A law authorizes the reproduction of a work if its author has been deceased for more than 50 years. It’s your specialty, Landscapes My specialty is making money. In this city, open-air workshop, nearly 8,000 painters work side by side. We now have an appointment with the wholesaler who has agreed to talk to us about his business. On its front, Mr. King. Indicates his/her specialty in Chinese and English, Parisian street scene paintings. Quite a program. I’ll show you around Inside, hundreds of canvases protected by plastic. All the monuments of Paris can be found there, and especially those located around Montmartre, like the Moulin Rouge. At the bend of a staircase, we come across a familiar face, The copy is striking. Mr.’s stock. King is impressive. We hasten to ask him who his clients are. There, It’s to send to Paris. You sell a lot in Paris Yes, I sell a lot there. Many people order from me. And what are the favorite models of Parisian customers? The Eiffel Tower is selling well, and also the great monuments. This model, For example, sells very well. This is the Arc de Triomphe. Continuing the discussion, We understand that Mr. King has a rather vague vision of France. That too, It’s typical of Paris. These are lavender fields. But it’s not really Paris, That If, it’s also Parisian, lavender. There are many flowers, like this one in summer. You have already been to France No, I’ve never been there. And you want to go there? Of course yes, I would love to go there to visit. Among all the canvases, This is the monument that sells the most. For the wholesaler, This model combines all the ingredients to please tourists. There is the Eiffel Tower, the Seine, architecture. It’s all there. And what’s more, The drawing is very beautiful. It’s romantic Paris, with the two lovers in black and white, strolling hand in hand. This painting, Mr. King sells it on average for between 8 and 10 euros. In Montmartre, an identical canvas can reach 100 euros, or 10 times more expensive. We ask him if he knows that some French dealers are making their customers believe that they are the authors of these paintings. I know that there are Parisian painters who say that they are the ones who painted my pictures. That’s how it is. I can understand that. It always sells for more. A canvas made by a local painter. If they do it themselves, They don’t always manage to achieve the same quality as my paintings. The question now is who painted this impressive amount of artwork. The question seems to bother him. No, I don’t want to show you this. I never do. Why is he so reluctant to show us the artists who work for him? After three hours of negotiations, Our interpreter finally convinced the wholesaler to let us meet one of his artists. And you’ll see that it’s quite astonishing. So we take our car again for an unknown destination. We follow Mr. King outside the city for over an hour. A small village located in the countryside. Here, no buildings, but houses aged by time. Would it be here, At the bottom of these dead ends are hidden the famous François, Paul Carrier and Burnett of Montmartre We’ll find out soon enough. Good morning. Here is the room… Where this artist paints his works. Looking up at the sky, We discover dozens of canvases drying with the help of an old fan. The heat is stifling. You don’t need a model? No, I have been painting for a long time. I don’t need a model. These are free-spirited drawings, according to customer requests. The Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, Notre-Dame de Paris and the Sacré-Coeur. Show of hands, This Chinese painter paints a Parisian street with the Arc de Triomphe before us. On the wall of the room, another painting represents Notre-Dame. The details are infinitely precise. In 20 years, This man claims to have painted more than 50,000 works. A grueling job, for which it is difficult to know the exact remuneration. And when we ask him the question, It’s Mr. King, who quickly answers in his place. He earns 25 euros for painting 10 hours. If he worked in a factory, he would earn the same amount working 8 hours. It’s true that it’s not always easy to be a painter. 25 euros per day for 6 paintings, or 4 euros per canvas on average. We find it hard to believe, because in just one hour, Our painter has already produced 3 in front of our camera. According to our estimates, This man actually creates around thirty paintings. Every day. SO, we play the surprised ones with Mr. King. We still have the impression that he paints much faster. Yes, but it is not as effective every day. You can’t work like this all the time. So, this is exceptional today. You can’t paint like this every day. When he is in a good mood, he does more. But tomorrow, if it happens, he will not be in good spirits. So he won’t paint. In reality, Mr. King would buy his paintings for less than a euro each. But it’s difficult to know more. One question remains. Who is behind the famous Montmartre signatures? During our little shopping tour? We had noted down a whole list of names, Paul Carrier, François or Burnett. Without realizing it, Today we have just met one of the most famous painters of the Place du Tertre. Burnett, It’s me. This painting, signed Burnett, will be delivered in a few weeks to Paris, in one of the many shops on Place du Tertre. From the depths of his Chinese countryside, he doesn’t know it. But these works will end up hanging on the living room walls of tourists who come from all over the world to Montmartre to take home a little piece of France.