A new scam is raging in France: fake technicians are going to their victims’ homes under the pretext of working on fiber optics. Do not open the door to them, it’s a lie!
Optical fiber has become such an issue for French households that it is sometimes difficult not to fall for certain scams. So, when a man rings the doorbell of your building or your house, claiming to be a technician who has to come to your home to repair your Internet connection, there is reason to wonder. However, you had no appointment planned…
Testimonies of this type are multiplying in Toulouse, as reported by our colleagues on the site News. Many people, claiming to be from Free, SFR, Orange or Bouygues Telecom, are trying to intervene with residents. However, at best they are salespeople practicing completely illegal canvassing, and at worst they are burglars who have come to scout out the situation.
Technician Scam: A Well-Rehearsed Speech
A resident of Beaumont-de-Lomagne reports that a technician came to his home, claiming to have been sent to the customer’s home by the operator, without however specifying the name of the latter: “He told me that there was a problem with my flow rate and that he had been asked to come and make repairs at my home in order to increase my flow rate.”he tells the newspaper. His speech is well-rehearsed but, fortunately, the victim had the good reflex to call Bouygues, his access provider (ISP), who confirmed that no intervention was planned. The fake technician then ended up admitting to working for Free and offered to subscribe to “an offer with better flow”The same thing happens again a few days later, with a new “technician”.
This is not an isolated case. In a Facebook group, a man reports that a so-called Free technician is going door-to-door in the streets of Beaumont-de-Lomagne, claiming that the fiber network is saturated and that the town hall has decided to change supplier in order to resolve this problem. Other Internet users also mention visits that could be similar to reconnaissance, allowing valuable information to be obtained for a future burglary.
Technician Scam: Don’t Let Anyone Into Your Home
Operators are formal: they never authorize their sales teams to wildly canvass prospects. If they can indeed be led to do door-to-door canvassing, through partner companies, but there are nevertheless rules to respect. “Under no circumstances do we enter people’s homes, unless the customer has placed an order, and in this case, he is warned that he will come by with five text messages, emails and an appointment in the afternoon.”explains Orange. “And the people who go door to door and say they are technicians, they are liars and crooks. They are salespeople.”
In other words, no technician will ever come to your door to check the quality of your fiber network. Especially since there is no need to check the speed, which is always the same and does not weaken. Similarly, the network cannot be saturated. And even if a customer changes contract, he will always be on the same network, so the excuses presented are meaningless.
If you receive such a visit, never agree to let the person into your home. If the person is insistent, do not hesitate to call your operator to obtain confirmation from them. If the situation starts to become tense, do not hesitate to contact the local police.