VIDEO. He must pay 4,035 euros for 17 speeding violations that he did not commit

2024-01-14 04:59:01

“If the 17 fines are settled, my driving license will be cancelled,” says Nicolas, 27, with his eyes glued to his computer. Every day, he checks his number of license points on the government website since he learned he was the victim of identity theft which has been going on since… the summer of 2020. The 17 fines he now has to pay did not reach him until the end of 2023. For Christmas, the Public Treasury sent him a hefty fine totaling 4,035 euros.

Nicolas does not understand how he could have been the victim of theft, he who “never scanned or sent [son] driving license to a third person, or renting a car.” He assumes that ill-intentioned people have created “an illegal business” by making motorists who have committed offenses believe “that they can get their ticket skipped in exchange for a sum of money, using [son] license number”.

Since receiving said letter, Nicolas has tried as best he can to alert the services of the National Agency for Secure Titles (ANTS) as well as the National Agency for the Automated Processing of Offenses (ANTAI) and even the sub-prefecture of Meaux (Seine-et-Marne) where he lives. But he deplores the fact of being faced with services “which pass the buck” and where “everything is digitized, without human contact”.

After filing a complaint with the gendarmerie, the Meldois creates a file with all the evidence he was able to collect as well as all the letters sent to the various possible services. And this up to the Ministry of the Interior. “I was able to retrieve the history of the fines and they come from almost everywhere in France, with different vehicles and number plates! “, defends the young employee of a model train company, showing us photos of his vacation to prove that the dates of certain offenses do not match his diary.

Except that his affair does not end there. At the end of December 2023, his employer in turn received a request for wage garnishment of 30%. Luckily for him, the family business is managed by his father-in-law. “Luckily he knows my situation. For the moment, we are playing for time, hoping that my case will be resolved quickly…” continues Nicolas, who does not know how he will be able to make ends meet with a cut of more than 300 euros from his monthly salary.

“At the Meaux court, I was told that I should have contested each of these fines within 30 days. Except that I haven’t received any tickets during this time! The thieves didn’t include my address. Everything was done behind my back,” continues Nicolas, who provides proof that several of the fines are linked to very expensive car models, a far cry from his 1999 Renault Twingo that he drives “from time to time”.

While waiting for a response from the competent institutions, which he hopes will be positive, Nicolas has made an online request to renew his driving license and even attended Julien Courbet’s show “It can happen to you” on M6 and RTL to tell the story. its adventures which may not end. “The 17 fines are those known to date but nothing tells me that in 2024, others will not be added…”.