Around fifty victims, more than a million euros of public money embezzled: three people, accused of fraud in the MaprimeRénov’ energy renovation aid system, will be judged on April 24.
The investigation, opened in winter 2024, highlights a large-scale fraudulent system around the MaPrimeRénov’ systempillar of the energy renovation policy. The key: more than one million euros in subsidies unduly receivedand around fifty victims, between injured individuals and abused craftsmen.
A fraudulent mechanism structured around public aid
It all starts from two reports: that of a craftsman victim of identity theftthen that of a individual reporting a scam linked to renovation work. Investigations quickly revealed an organized setup involving three people based in Charente-Maritime, including the director of a consulting company.
The process is based on theopening of aid files with Anah (National Housing Agency), using personal data collected from individuals. Quotes are then established in the name of RGE certified craftsmen. Apparently, the files are compliant. In fact, the professionals concerned have never been contacted and know nothing about the projects.
When work is carried out, they are often done by unqualified workerswith, as a result, poor workmanship reported by several customers. The damage exceeds one million euros in public aid, for nearly 50 identified victims.
When work is actually carried out, it is most often entrusted to unqualified workers, giving rise to numerous defects reported by customers. © Freepik
A case symptomatic of the excesses around MaPrimeRénov’
Placed in police custody then under judicial supervision, the three accused will have to appear on April 24, 2026 before the Saintes criminal court For organized gang fraud and money laundering. The investigation also highlighted personal links between the protagonists, reinforcing the hypothesis of a structured organization.
This case occurs in a context of increased vigilance around MaPrimeRénov’. In the summer of 2025, the system was temporarily suspended for large-scale renovations, in the face of an increase in requests and fraud attempts. Since then, controls have intensified: Anah indicates having foiled more than 21,000 frauds in 2025, representing 174 million euros in blocked aid.
A warning signal for the sector. And a major issue for the credibility of public support systems for energy renovation.
