“I earn up to 3,000 euros per month”: a Linky meter trafficker reveals the underside of his scheme

The Linky meter was presented as inviolable. But since 2022 and the energy crisis, it would ultimately not be that much. While the network manager, Enedis, estimates that electricity theft has since increased by 2 TWh, the company claiming to have detected more than 100,000 tampered with meters throughout France. On Snapchat or Telegram, dozens of accounts offer to tamper with Linky at home, in a few minutes. One of his traffickers agreed to testify anonymously in front of the cameras of “Sept à Huit Life”, an interview to be found in the report at the top of this article, broadcast on TF1 last weekend.

This man charges 350 euros for his intervention, 600 euros if it is a professional. In front of the camera of “Sept à Huit Life”, which simply compensated him for his trip, he shows a meter, in a private home, which displays a consumption of 2500 volt-amperes (VA). “You will see after the modification”he anticipates, putting on gloves “to protect yourself”. He then opens the Linky and after six minutes and 15 seconds, the operation, the different stages of which our report obviously does not show, is already completed. On the screen, the consumption is now 750 VA. 70% of electricity no longer passes through the meter, and is therefore not billed.

It's very simple, even a teenager could do it.

A Linky meter trafficker

The trafficker even adds a new seal “which certifies that Enedis has closed” the case. The man claims to have bought it easily on the Internet. “It’s very simple, even a teenager could do it”he assures about his intervention. “I have absolutely no training as an electrician, if you know how to use your ten fingers, it works very well.”

He explains that he carries out these operations in addition to working as a mechanic, which is completely legal and pays more than 3,000 euros net per month. “I was looking for additional income. On Snapchat, I found someone who was doing training in the south. We made an appointment, I went to see him and he trained me. That was great for me. cost 1500 euros”he reveals, while he has been pursuing this parallel activity for six months. “It amounts to between 2,000 and 3,000 euros per month. It’s sure that it’s better than a SMIC . For two-three clients per week, with travel time… in six hours, you have that sorted. Six hours a week”.

“We always fear at some point that we will be caught”

One of its clients, who benefited from this operation five months ago, justifies the approach. “I received an email from EDF to indicate that there was still a increase in electricity prices . And so, I said to myself 'but what is this increase again?' There are enough of them, they are everywhere”remembers this father. “The following month, I received the person who came, who did the operation, and presto! I was at around 200 euros per month. And now, today, I am at around 80 euros per month. It's perfect.”he congratulates himself.

“There's always a fear at some point of getting caught, making choices like that. But I don't think they're going to reprimand the individual who did something. The risk is taken and the risk is completely assumed.”he adds. However, according to Enedis, all the fraudsters would already be spotted by one of its dedicated services.

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“You should know that when you open a Linky meter, there is an alarm that goes up on our information system. So, we can see it directly”explains in the report of “Sept à Huit Life” Nora Diouri, digital project manager within the Enedis anti-fraud unit. After opening, a sudden drop in consumption is systematically suspicious. Consequently, since last month, the company has been increasing its formal notices by registered letter. The fraudsters then have ten days to reimburse the unpaid electricity, under penalty of having their power cut off.