It was last August. An 84-year-old pensioner hospitalized at his home in Homécourt was stopped in front of his house by men pretending to be gardeners. “My father was enjoying the sunshine on the steps of his house when the men pointed out to him that his hedge needed trimming,” says the son. “They managed to fool him. You know, old people don’t like it when people point out that their garden is poorly maintained.”
The octogenarian lets himself be convinced, especially since the amount requested for the work seems ridiculous. A few hundred euros that must be paid by credit card. The victim is not suspicious and pulls out his credit card. His interlocutor shows him a small portable terminal on which he enters the amount. Once the transaction is completed, the “landscaper” takes out his equipment and gets to work. He attacks the conifers and the Homécourtois is convinced that he has made a good deal.
A few moments later, the salesman leaves the premises and promises to return the next day to continue the task and take care of, among other things, the weeds. Except that he never comes back. And that “the hedge that was supposed to be cut square looks like a rough sea, with big waves,” laments the son of the octogenarian.
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A complaint filed
But the worst was to come in the following days. A first withdrawal of €800 from the octogenarian’s account, then on the same day, a second of €300. At the end of August, another of €500 and on September 2, one of €1,000. “My father hadn’t told me anything, he must have felt bad about it,” the son believes. “It was when I examined his accounts that I noticed these anomalies.”
A complaint was immediately filed at the Briey police station. “He wouldn’t be the only one to have been a victim of these imposters,” explains the complainant. “Three other elderly people in the same neighborhood were duped in the same way.” An investigation was opened by the police, who are increasingly having to deal with this type of behavior. Like this septuagenarian living near Briey, who was the target of a fake chimney sweep. The latter wanted to be paid by check. Once he had pocketed the money, he pretended to have to go wash his hands and in the process, stole the lady’s wallet and checkbook.
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