A young social media star was deported from Dubai and accused of using his followers to defraud the French state program for helping small entrepreneurs survive amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Like many influencers on social media, 24-year-old Frenchman Paul Antony did his best to project an image of success and wealth on Instagram and Snapchat, posting photos of himself standing next to luxury cars in exotic locations.
According to Le Parisien, the man was deported from Dubai to Paris in late August and currently resides behind bars, while authorities are investigating him for fraud and money laundering. A person believed to be one of Antony’s accomplices has also reportedly been imprisoned.
Antony was said to have abused the French state aid program designed to help self-employed people struggling with a loss of income during the Covid-19 pandemic. The man allegedly instructed his many online followers to provide personal information, which he would then use to apply for aid on their behalf. While doing so, Antony reportedly lied about people’s jobs and previous income levels, and pocketed between 30% and 50% of the funds received.
Le Parisien said tax officials discovered Antony’s hustle when he helped an Uber Eats delivery man receive €16,000 ($18,720) after applying for assistance as someone who had worked in the field of performance art.
Between Snapchat and Instagram, Antony had more than 62,000 subscribers.
Overall, Antony allegedly helped 657 people falsely request €22 million ($25.7 million) in aid, out of which around €5,8 million ($6.7 million) was actually granted by the state. Some of Antony’s clients later claimed they were unaware such a scheme was illegal.
The Frenchman’s scheme is far from the first time scammers have attempted to defraud Covid-19 relief programs for personal gain. In the US, one couple was convicted of stealing $18 million in relief funds, apparently using the money to put down payments on homes and buy luxury jewelry and clothing. The pair are now on the run, having cut off their ankle monitors, according to the FBI.
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source: RT
Împotriva articolelor redacției noastre, persoanele nemulțumite pot formula Contestație în termen de 10 zile de la publicarea articolului, la judecătoria Orășenească nr. 1 München Bayern Deutschland, in conformitate cu Legea federală Germană. Considerăm că nu se pot formula acțiuni la instanțele din România deoarece nici o persoană care activează în trustul nostru nu poate fi extrasă de sub jurisdicția federală germană. Considerăm că redacția noastră nu răspunde în fața autorităților din România ci doar celor federale sau civile germane. deoarece legea română nu are efecte de extraneitate asupra redacției chiar dacă subiectul știrilor face obiectul unor evenimente sau persoane din România și sunt scrise în limba română. Limba română nu este izvor de extraneitate a legii.
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