A former driving instructor, who apparently knew the French Highway Code like the back of his hand, was caught red-handed allegedly taking the test more than 50 times instead of real candidates in exchange for money.
A 47-year-old man from Eure-et-Loir, southwest of Paris in France, was allegedly caught in the act preparing for the umpteenth time on July 7, France Info reported on Monday.
The former driving instructor has been charging 400 euros, the equivalent of more than 580 CAD, to take the test instead of one or two candidates per week since October 2022.
Noticing that candidates from all over France were enrolling to take the exam at this center managed by Saussay-based company Objectif Code, the company’s anti-fraud unit had the chip in its ear when it realized “strange things were happening,” they reported French media.
A 51-year-old employee, with whom the forties could have shared a quarter of the profits, was also arrested on suspicion of complicity.
The two men face five years in prison and a fine of 375,000 euros – more than 550,000 Canadian dollars – for their deception. According to France Info, candidates could also be prosecuted and lose their license.