France’s fake foreign minister trial begins

Seven men on trial accused of posing as French politician to scam high-profile figures including the Aga Khan

Gilbert Chikli,
Franco-Israeli suspect Gilbert Chikli denies masterminding the racket
(Image credit: Getty Images)

A group of men accused of scamming millions of euros from celebrities by impersonating a leading French minister are going on trial in Paris today.

In an alleged con dating back to 2015, the imposters are said to have used Skype and silicone masks to trick high-profile figures into believing they were talking to France’s then-defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, now foreign minister.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Explore More
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us