Louvre Rocked by Arrests in $11.8 Million Ticket Fraud Investigation

"The fraud scheme, believed to have been running for a decade and bringing in up to 20 tour groups per day, was believed to have cost the Louvre an estimated loss of more than €10 million ($11.8 million), said the Paris prosecutors office on Thursday, according to the AFP. The police made arrests on Tuesday following months of judicial investigation launched after the Louvre filed in December 2024."

"French media reported that the museum grew suspicious of two Chinese tour guides who were allegedly reusing tickets to usher multiple groups inside, a tactic police later confirmed through surveillance and wiretaps. Police also found that tour groups were split into smaller parties to avoid reservation fees-€20 ($23) for groups of up to six and €90 ($106) for groups of seven to 20-which cover a guide's right to conduct tours inside the museum."

The decade-long ticket fraud targeted Chinese tour groups at the Louvre and the Palace of Versailles, using counterfeit and reused tickets and systematic overbooking of guided tours. Police made nine arrests, including two Louvre employees, several tour guides and a suspected organizer, after a judicial investigation launched when the Louvre filed in December 2024. Authorities seized more than €957,000 in cash, €486,000 in bank accounts, three vehicles and safe deposit boxes, and investigators say some proceeds were invested in real estate in France and Dubai. The scheme split groups to avoid reservation fees and relied on inside help confirmed by surveillance and wiretaps.

Read at Artnet News