A large-scale ticket fraud scheme targeting museums—the Louvre and the Palace of Versailles—has been uncovered in France. According to information from Le Parisien newspaper, police have arrested nine people, including two Louvre employees and tour guides. They are suspected of selling counterfeit tickets and illegally booking tours.
Above the Louvre in Paris. Photo: vecteezy.com
During searches, 957 thousand euros in cash were confiscated from the detainees, and another 486 thousand euros were found in bank accounts. Additionally, police seized three cars and several bank safe deposit boxes.
The investigation began after a complaint from Louvre employees. They noticed Chinese tour guides regularly bringing groups of tourists into the museum, bypassing the ticket counter. According to testimonies, the same tickets were being used for different people. After checks and phone tap monitoring, the suspicions were confirmed.
The prosecution believes that the criminal scheme operated for about ten years and could have caused the Louvre losses of over 10 million euros.
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