2 men arrested in bed bug fumigation scam targeting seniors in France

Police in France have arrested two men who allegedly scammed seniors into paying thousands of euros for bed bug treatments they did not need.

Amid growing panic about a surge of bed bugs in the country, the two scammers preyed on victims by masquerading as health officials, according to authorities in Strasbourg, in eastern France.

The men would reportedly phone their victims, usually women over the age of 90, and claim there was a bed bug infestation in their neighbourhood.

They would then travel to the victim’s home and execute faux fumigation services using an aerosol, the news agency AFP reported. The men also provided victims with an ointment they said would keep bed bugs away from a person’s skin, though the product was actually a eucalyptus-scented cream not intended for such use.

At least 48 people were affected by the fraudulent scheme.

The scammers charged between €300 (about C$440) and €2,100 (nearly C$3,069) for the services. They only accepted credit card payments. The men, who have not been named publicly, were arrested on suspicion of fraud. The arrest came after local police received nine complaints.

Authorities carried out surveillance on the two men, then arrested them as they left the home of another victim.

This fall, France was rocked by reports of a bed bug epidemic in many of the country’s most popular spaces, including on public transit and in airports. As a result, several schools in France temporarily shut their doors. French government held a series of emergency meetings and launched an anti-bed bug campaign that included a dedicated information hotline and website for those affected by the pests (and the growing hysteria).

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Bed bugs are small, bloodsucking parasites. They are not known to spread disease, though some people can have allergic reactions to their bites. Bed bugs are known to hide in bedding, box springs, clothing and other surfaces.

Though bed bug bites are not necessarily physically harmful, the presence of bed bugs — or even believed presence of bed bugs — can cause serious mental health issues. Many who have experienced bed bug infestations say they were overwhelmed with paranoia, obsessive behaviour, nightmares, and anxiety.