An unmissable Sunday evening event on TF1, “Sept à quatre”, presented by Harry Roselmack, offers reports each week at the heart of the news. If Audrey Crespo-Mara’s portrait of the week was devoted to the YouTuber Inoxtag, it’s another subject that particularly struck people’s minds this evening.
In its new issue, the investigative magazine first looked at daily scams, in particular that of locksmith-fraudsters. The story of Daniel, 79 years old, is the perfect example: after finding himself in front of his closed door without his keys, the retiree was forced to pay a bill of 4,300 euros for a simple repair.
But it was the rest of the report that really sparked outrage. The program highlighted the case of two mothers, alleged victims of a vast scam linked to an online lottery. Lelya, 8 years old, suffered a brain hemorrhage at birth and cannot stand up alone. Her mother Céline, to finance rehabilitation, created an association and called on Maya Loto. Of the 150,000 euros of winnings intended for the association, only 11,000 euros were paid. “We were betrayed, they used the image of our children to obtain funds (…) It’s a shame, my daughter was stolen,” she testifies with emotion.
Same fight for Laurie and her daughter Morgane, 5 years old, victim of a stroke in her first days of life. The intensive rehabilitation courses in Poland, each costing 4,000 euros, were to be financed by lottery winnings. But here again, Maya Loto would have taken 95% of the sums generated. “That would have changed everything, we could have gone to three internships per year for Morgane. It’s indecent to see that there are people who put millions in their pockets at the expense of associations,” denounces Laurie.
A man is at the heart of this affair: Guy Leduc, nicknamed the “Santa Claus of lotteries”. His statements in front of the cameras of “Sept à quatre” will arouse indignation on social networks…
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“It’s really pathetic…”
With a recognizable Texan style with his cowboy hat, Guy Leduc, a former restaurateur converted to events, is the creator of Maya Loto. In four years, his company has generated more than 16 million euros in turnover. Currently being prosecuted for illegal organization of online lotteries and organized gang fraud, he defends himself: “I am not a crook, I am Santa Claus, the Santa Claus of the lottery.” He admits to having kept 35% of the revenue instead of the authorized 15%, justifying: “I was in the process of helping the associations but also of running my company with 23 employees, if I took only 15% I would give up the keys under the doors. Even more provocative, he directly attacks the complaining associations: “I find that it is a certain nerve for the associations to go and file a complaint. They come with their hands in their pockets, they have no cash, have brings them customers and then they want to make more money? I can’t understand.”
Faced with these statements, Internet users were quick to react on outrages a first Internet user.
“The guy defrauds associations fighting against disabilities and for him, he is more like ‘Santa Claus’. He looks like the guru of a sect. Zero compassion for children who are severely disabled from birth,” denounces another. The comments are pouring out: “Embezzlement of funds at the expense of sick children… You really have to be the end of the race. Santa Claus is trash! The guy really is a crook!” A strong sequence, which did not fail to provoke the anger of many other Internet users…
