Madeleine, 87, has had a full life. With her husband, who died in 2011, she had 4 children, and over the years she has become the proud grandmother of 11 grandchildren. But since the death of her husband, the daily life of the old lady has radically changed. And if she still receives, from time to time, her family in her house in the Parisian suburbs, the days usually seem to her very gloomy, and the house, very empty.
This loneliness, some ill-intentioned people have also sought to take advantage of it, at the unfortunate expense of Madeleine’s wallet.
For several years, in fact, the grandmother has been the victim of what could be called abuse of weakness, on the part of many door-to-door canvassers.
Each time, the scenario repeats itself; they ring her doorbell, she opens the door and politely strikes up a conversation. “As I live alone, it always makes me happy to talk to someone,” Madeleine tells us. “And each time, they make me understand that I absolutely have to make such and such a change in my house”.
The first time, about three years ago, a man introduced himself as a roofing expert. He assures her that her roof is in a bad state. “He explained to me for long minutes that it was absolutely necessary to clean it with a special product, otherwise it would risk being damaged even more. And the maintenance should be done, according to him, very quickly, before winter!” Credulous and worried, Madeleine gives in. The fortune craftsman bills him for the service 2400 euros. She sends him the same day three checks for 800 euros.
A considerable sum for this retiree, who usually lets her children manage her accounts.
A few days later, his son made the terrible discovery while examining his bank statements. “He called me to ask me what it was about, and I told him. I got scolded”, thunders Madeleine, ashamed.
The widow’s four children consult together, worried, and decide to talk to her. “We told her that she had been had, and that she should not open to anyone, let alone let the door-to-door salesmen convince her”, explains her daughter, Sylviane.
The latter will try to find the trace of the canvasser in question, but impossible. “These are checks, made out to a strange company that I couldn’t find,” continues Madeleine’s only daughter.
Above all, children do not know what type of maintenance has really been carried out on the roof. “We never really saw what had been done, nor the product that had been used. So it was useless, it was really a scam”, annoys Sylviane.
The misadventure could have remained an isolated incident. But Madeleine, alas, could not help but open her door again.
A few months later, another canvasser rings at the grandmother’s. “This time it was my windows that had a problem, he said. It was imperative to redo the borders.” For his work, carried out within an hour, he invoiced 1500 euros.
The old lady rules without flinching. “It looked serious,” she said.
Again, his children are challenged by this expense while going through Madeleine’s accounts. The reprimands start again. “We know that our mother is stubborn… And that she does not necessarily realize that we are trying to scam her, she does not see the harm. But here it is worrisome. It is an abuse of weakness”, explains Sylviane.
The family thinks of filing a complaint, but once again, it is impossible to find the trace of the craftsman.
Once again, Madeleine finds herself with strict instructions: we don’t open to anyone, we don’t talk to canvassers… But nothing helps. At the beginning of the summer of 2022, she once again let herself be seduced by the offer of a visitor.
“He offered to repaint my mailbox for 900 euros. At the time, it seemed like a good deal. But I have no idea what it really costs”, specifies the old lady.
The transaction is carried out, the box is summarily repainted. And Madeleine is again lectured by her children.
In total, the grandmother was relieved in a few months of nearly 5,000 euros.
His children even suspect that it may be one and the same group of scammers. “They saw that it worked for the first time, so they came back, maybe it was the same guy without her realizing it!”, Sylviane is indignant.
Since this last episode, the octogenarian tries to follow the recommendations of his relatives to the letter.
Lately, however, Madeleine has deviated: she has let a man come home and examine her garden. “He told me he could do some gardening work that seemed important. But hey, this time, I told him that I would tell my children about it first!”.
Progress, then.