Her SNCF reservation betrayed her: after two years of scams, an identity thief is unmasked by her victim

Une femme reçoit un message automatique de la SNCF confirmant la réservation d’un train (Illustration). XinHua – Meng Dingbo

A woman, victim of a residence permit theft, found the suspect's trail thanks to an SNCF reservation, this Monday, August 26, 2024.

Betrayed by an email. A woman from Nantes receives an automatic message from the SNCF confirming the reservation of a first-class seat for a TGV Nantes-Paris, with a departure scheduled for 7:15 p.m. the same day, Monday, August 26, reports Le Figaro. But, she never bought this ticket.

Instantly, she suspects a person who, for two years, has been stealing her identity. Knowing where he will be, the victim decides to react and immediately goes to the police with the email.

Arrested and placed in police custody

The Nantes police therefore sent a patrol to verify the facts. At the Nantes station, the officers boarded the TGV mentioned in the email. They did indeed find a woman sitting in the reserved seat, claiming to be the right person. Aged 37, she was arrested and taken into custody for identity theft, according to a police source of our colleagues.

Two years earlier, she had already filed a complaint after her residence permit and credit card were stolen. Although she quickly blocked her bank card, the loss of her identity document had much more serious consequences. She had to contest several fines from the SNCF and RATP for journeys she had never made.

An investigation opened

The police have opened an investigation to determine whether the suspect is behind the initial theft or whether she has assumed other identities over the years. It is also possible that she is linked to a larger network of trafficking in stolen goods. During her police custody, her real identity and address were confirmed, which led to a search of her home on Tuesday. The police found the bank card stolen in 2022 there.