"
It was too good to be true
."
A former delivery man admitted to the Paris court on Tuesday, June 14, having made a fraudulent request for business assistance at the time of the Covid-19 crisis, via an influencer on social networks who “
spoke well
”.
To discover
LIVE - Legislative 2022: follow the negotiations the day after the first round
Read alsoIn the United Kingdom, fraud and errors linked to Covid aid would represent 15 billion pounds
The latter, who uses the nickname "
PA7
", has been on trial since Monday, suspected of having defrauded the business solidarity fund of millions of euros, by submitting bogus requests on behalf of entrepreneurs recruited by "
ads
” on Snapchat.
Six people are tried with him, including Vincent O., 22, for concealment of fraud.
“
I admit having unduly received the 26,000 euros
”, immediately declares the young man in a black suit, round glasses, stripe on the side.
In the summer of 2020, after the first confinement, he had just finished a BTS in accounting and had created a self-employed business as a delivery man at Uber Eats, he said in response to questions from the court.
“
One evening
” when he was “
hanging
out” on social networks, he said he came across “
by chance
” on an “
ad
” of “
PA7
”.
"
He was talking about the aid to be received from the state, the three times 10,000 euros
," he said.
“
He had persuaded me, he was someone who for me brought very good confidence in what he was saying (…) The way he expressed himself, I let myself be influenced
”.
“
I thought to myself that it
“, he assures.
But he sends his tax identifiers, his SIRET number and his bank details.
“
Two or three days later
”, he receives 10,000 euros.
Read alsoVast real estate scam: up to 6 years firm required against 21 defendants in Marseille
He is then asked to pay a "
commission of 4,000 euros
", continues the defendant, who claims to have understood at that time that "
the case was quite suspicious
".
He makes the transfer for “
fear of reprisals
” then receives again 10,000 euros.
Faced with these suspicious movements, his bank blocked his account and the remaining sums.
"
I didn't think about it, I did it stupidly
", admits Vincent O., who bought furniture for his family with whom he lives in a "
35 m2
".
“
Why didn't you return the money?
asks the president.
For fear “
of (being) found in prison
”, he answers.
“
100,000 euros per month
”
The 24-year-old influencer, Paul A., admitted the fraud but disputes the amounts – in total, according to the prosecution, 695 requests for 33.8 million euros claimed, including 7.5 million paid over 14 months.
With him in the box is Julien M., 24, his "
best friend
" who followed him to Dubai in December 2020. Luxury hotel, personal trainer, parties, restaurants... their common lifestyle in the he emirate, financed by the commissions, cost around 100,000 euros per month, estimates "
PA7
".
Read alsoA European scam on horse meat judged in France
Julien M. himself directly received nearly 22,000 euros in aid for his company, created in 2016: from “
installation work
”, his activity becomes in the form “
performing arts
”, underlines the president.
Suspected of having been an accomplice to fraud and money laundering, he claims to have only made “
files in Dubai
” and maintains that he did not know that the requests were “
illegal
” before his departure from France.
The president reads exchanges of messages between the two friends, where they speak, from 2020, of an "
invoice to justify
", of payments to a Paypal account in exchange
for "cash
".
"
In all these conversations, you're not talking about Covid scam money?
"
I thought it was for the ads he was doing
" as an influencer, loose the defendant, stingy with his words, assuring: "
I didn't know it was dirty money
".
The magistrate insists: in intercepted conversations in Dubai, they seem "
at least equal
", Julien M. does not seem to have been a simple "
executor
".
Asked, “
PA7
” tries a “
image
": "
It's like a trade.
You can call it a manager, Julien managed my business but I gave him instructions to manage it.
And it was necessary that the businesses turn, so that one can live
.
