“Stop Fraud”: what is this system launched on Wednesday to track down free riders in transport?

Six public transport operators, including SNCF and RATP, will be able to check the addresses of offenders without a transport ticket in order to ensure that the fine imposed on them arrives safely, a way of improving the recovery rate. It’s “Stop Fraude”, launched from this Wednesday, January 8. A decree relating to the “Le Roux-Savary” law which entered into force on December 3, 2024.

Here is how this “validated by the CNIL” system works: the personal data protection policeman will allow transport companies to check at the end of the day the address given by the offenders at the time the fine was notified by the controller . The fine is then sent by mail to your home: “We are convinced that this system will constitute an additional deterrent to fraudsters, by telling them that we are now able to identify their exact address,” assures in the subject of 8 p.m. on TF1 Thibaud Deletraz, director of Keolis, Île-de-France, in charge of the fight against fraud.

The terms of this new prerogative were detailed in a decree published on December 3. It provides that the system, developed and managed by the National Printing Office, has access to the files of the General Directorate of Public Finances (DGFiP), in order to bring out the correct tax address, provided that the person has given their true identity. The system aims to reduce the risk of the fine being lost. Very precisely, six companies which financed it will launch it this Wednesday, namely SNCF, RATP, Keolis, Transdev, RTM (Marseille public transport network) and Tisséo (the Toulouse network).

20% fraud, deplores RTM

A system that promises to deter fraudsters? “Yes, I’ll rather walk if I ever forget my card”concedes a metro user to TF1. A device that is only effective if the person does not lie about their name. The transport authority still hopes to reduce the massive amount of money lost: “We manage to have one user in five who is not going to pay, that’s 20% fraud”deplores Marc Labouz, director of RTM security in the video subject above. “Approximately, each percentage represents 1 million euros of losses. So, you add it up, that’s 20 million losses,” he argues.

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In the near future, operators hope to equip their controllers with systems capable of verifying addresses in real time.