After the renewal of the vital card, the bank transfer, the fake policeman, the fake EDF employee, the fake water damage… The license plate scam is born. This is a new way to convince users to voluntarily give the license plate of their vehicle, a missing piece of a file, which the criminal will use to steal a tidy sum from his victim. However, it is easy to recognize the scam to guard against it.

This known scam in the United Kingdom consists of leaving a message on the victim’s voicemail explaining to him that he caused a slight collision in the car, without realizing it a little earlier in the day. As a result, the thug took down the license plate and obtained this phone number through the town hall. He then asks for money for the repair, or else he will file a hit-and-run complaint and antagonize the insurance company. Obviously, there was never a clash, he never got the number by calling the town hall. Indeed, underlines Romain Miot, the communication manager of the Marne prefecture at France 3 Champagne-Ardenne: “in the registration file, our services do not have telephone numbers, […] only a requisition judiciary allows the communication of the telephone number of one of our fellow citizens.

Thus, in general, the prefecture of the Marne recalls some general precautionary rules to be taken in order to guard against scams: never communicate any information or personal document to a third person. This includes identity photos, credit card codes, insurance, vital card, and connection to a site. She also recommends never calling an unknown number and, if in doubt, calling your bank to object. Online procedures are always carried out on the official public service portal, approved by the government. It is possible to report cases of scams on the Thésée platform.