Leboncoin scam: 33 victims complain about goods never received

In Abbeville on 8 April, Franck R. will answer for his actions before the Amiens court. He defrauded dozens of people between October 2017 and December 2018. The public prosecutor adds that there may be even more victims who have not filed a complaint.

A simple but highly effective modus operandi

Franck's technique for swindling other internet users on Leboncoin was based on a technique as old as the internet itself: he put ads online for goods that simply didn't exist. Buyers would send him cheques, which Franck would cash. Of course, the victims never received the goods they had bought.

Low-cost high-tech equipment

The swindler offered ads for low-priced technological goods, which were all the rage on the Internet. Mobile phones, computers, luxury speakers... Franck knew what aroused the most interest and didn't hesitate to manipulate and dangle golden bargains in front of his victims. The average price of his scams was €500. Based on the minimum number of victims over this period, i.e. 33, Franck would have stolen a sum close to €16,500 from duped buyers.

An unusual story of a disabled and illiterate swindler

Unusually, the scammer could neither read nor write, and lived on disabled adult allowance following a car accident and illness. To post his adverts online, he used Siri, Apple's voice assistant, to which he dictated the text of the adverts. The trick to dictating the text came from a computer equipment salesman who probably had no idea of the use Franck had in mind.

This is not the first time the swindler has done this

Franck R. has 19 criminal records, including theft and tampering with car speedometers (a subject to which we devoted an article). He is also known for selling calendars under the guise of a representative of an animal protection association.

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