the essential
A 25-year-old man was convicted by the Castres court for a series of rear-view mirror scams in 2020. For a year, he will have to wear an electronic bracelet. His friend, absent from the hearing, also received a year in prison. Here's how the duo went about scamming the elderly.
Having passed under the radar for a while, the rearview mirror scam gained new momentum at the end of summer this year. Disconcertingly simple, the scam works as follows: a rogue driver accuses another motorist – often an elderly person – of having broken his mirror. To intensify the pressure, the scammer contacts an accomplice pretending to be the insurer. The latter informs that the repair costs will be very high, and the crook on site offers an amicable settlement in cash. And there you have it, the trap closes: in a few minutes, the victim gives in, and the crook leaves with the money.
“I played the role of the insurer.” At the Castres court this Tuesday, a 25-year-old man was on trial for four scams and two attempts of the same type, in 2020, in Albine, Saint-Amans-Valtoret, Mirabel, Ganges and La Bastide-sur-l' Hers. His accomplice, involved in a single incident, was absent during the hearing. Both were sentenced to one year in prison: the only difference is that the defendant present will benefit from a sentence in the form of an electronic bracelet.
“I was young, I didn’t work, I needed money and I was offered to do this for a living”
“I recognize all the facts, I regret them and I want to apologize to the victims,” explained the scammer, who did not wish to confirm the name of his accomplice, for “fear of reprisals”. “I was young, I didn't work, I needed money and I was offered to do that to live,” added the father of two children, who came before the magistrates with bank checks for the victims, in good faith.
The total damage reached several hundred euros, distributed between Tarn and other departments. In his defense, the defendant's lawyer insisted on the change in his client's life: “He has not been talked about since 2020. Nothing. He is a family man, integrated, on a permanent contract.” Who will now wear an electronic bracelet for a year.
