Par
Martin Leduc
Published on Oct 10, 2024 at 5:34 p.m.
It’s not new, actu.fr was already echoed in 2022. But with the cold starting to appear, scams linked to heating are on the rise, in this month of October 2024.
As spotted France 3 Normandythe town of Charleval, in Eure, even alerted its citizens on the social network Facebook, citing real companies (but not supposed to sell wood) indirect victims of this scam which targets its inhabitants. The same process has been observed almost everywhere in France, such as here in Rennes, in Brittany, or here, in Bordeaux in Gironde.
How do scammers do it?
The criminals have a well-rehearsed technique: they usurp, on the Internet, the identity of a very real and well-known company. Behind, they contact their potential victims via different means of communication.
The scams in Normandy were carried out from the Facebook marketplace, but other scam attempts were carried out by email, on Leboncoin, or directly on the phone.
When the “target” is phished, the fake wood sellers send a quote, which closely resembles a real one. Easy, therefore, to be fooled.
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From then on, the usurpers get paid before delivery, pocket the money, then disappear without honoring the order. For their part, customers wait for their delivery which… never arrives.
Payment method, price and delivery time
“We therefore invite you to exercise the greatest vigilance if people contact you claiming to be sellers of these companies,” recommends Charleval town hall.
This is indeed the first step to avoid being fooled: be vigilant. If an offer is too good to be true, there’s a good chance it’s not.
Companies that allow online purchases are still quite rare; Today, the majority of orders are made by telephone and it is always reassuring to have professionals online. We must also look for proximity and, above all, favor certified companies (France Bois Bûche, NF, ONF Énergie Bois, etc.) to be sure of the volumes sold, the species delivered and the humidity.
Olivier Silberberg
Animator of the France Bois Bûche brand
Another element to absolutely watch out for is the delivery time: if the “professional” assures you express delivery in three days or less, you should become suspicious.
During the high season, as soon as it gets cold, the real companies selling firewood are overwhelmed, and it sometimes takes at least a week before delivery.
Another clue: the payment method chosen by the interlocutor. Bank transfer or cash order are difficult to trace. A boon for scammers. It is therefore advisable to remain cautious, at the risk of seeing your money go without return.
In the case of a spontaneous purchase, it is also advisable to check that the site in question is reliable, in particular by consulting the legal notices. The trick is to search for the name of the company on Google, look at the results that appear, and the associated reviews.
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