Overview
- Paris’s prosecutor disclosed Thursday that seven suspects were placed under formal investigation for organized fraud and money laundering, with one jailed and others under judicial control.
- The scheme ran through at least 18 health centers across France, often billing people on Complementary Health Solidarity coverage that reimburses 100% of care costs.
- Investigators describe the setup as using nominees, dedicated phone fleets, bank detail changes and tweaks to billing software to open accounts and reroute refunds.
- Invoices were sometimes issued under practitioners who were not practicing, including a Marseille dentist who died in 2021, and named patients later said they never received the listed care.
- Officials estimate €58 million in losses and say detection blocked about €16 million in payouts and seized more than €300,000, while some outlets reported 14 charged as the JIRS, OCLTI and PIEJ investigations continue.