50 euros on your windscreen? In France, this formidable scam is making a comeback

A 50 euro note strategically placed on your windscreen…and then off to the police station to report the theft of your vehicle. 

The police are raising the alarm on social media: this scam, which is not newly invented, is continuing its devastating run in certain French cities. 

The perfect distraction

Do you think you're safe inside your vehicle? What if you discovered a 50 euro note carefully placed under the windscreen wiper? An intriguing find, isn’t it? And what if you went to take a closer look at the bank note? You unbuckle your seatbelt, get out of your car…and forget to lock it behind you. 

That's when the scammer steps in. Seeing the opportunity open up, he or she rushes into your vehicle, gets behind the wheel and speeds off. As the police point out, this is “a very expensive note”: somebody manages to steal your car for just 50 euros. And, according to the National Police, the note is probably fake as well. 

During the warm seasons

For other crooks, the moment is ideal to steal all belongings inside your vehicle before escaping. The note serves, as you would have guessed, as a diversion. "They act suddenly and disappear quickly after the theft. This type of scam is particularly widespread during the warm seasons. Indeed, when the weather is favourable and people spend more time outside," indicates the National Police. 

(MH with Raphaël Liset - Source : Demotivateur - Illustration : ©Unsplash)