‘Fake CEO’ scam inspires global copycats
RISHON LEZION, Israel — It was an unlikely scene for what has the trappings of a major scam, an office in a dingy building housing a car repair shop a short drive from the glittering Mediterranean Sea. But from here, eight immigrants from Europe allegedly conspired to dupe major multinational companies out of millions of dollars.
Most of them spoke French, the others Italian. Using their language skills and familiarity with European business practices, they telephoned employees at some of Europe’s biggest companies, identified themselves as top executives and tricked workers into transferring large sums of money to bank accounts in their control, police said. Among the companies targeted, according to police and suspects’ lawyers: Kia Motors, Hugo Boss and Chanel.
It was a classic “fake CEO” or “fake president” scam, a scheme used by criminals worldwide that has robbed companies of some $1.8 billion in just over two years, according to the FBI. Most of the eight suspects in the latest case are either jailed or under house arrest.
A free man
But not the man who boasts of pioneering the scam years ago, inspiring copycats like these around the globe: French-Israeli con artist Gilbert Chikli. He mysteriously remains a free man, living in luxury in his villa in a seaside Israeli city as French authorities try to bring him to justice over a massive con for which he was previously convicted.
“If they have a problem, they can come see me. They know my address. I am not fleeing,” Chikli told the Associated Press by telephone. “Send them my regards.”
The case illustrates how financial crime has globalized faster and more efficiently than the law enforcement that is trying to fight it.
Israel extradited Chikli to France to stand trial in 2008 for defrauding HSBC, Thomson, Accenture and other companies out of 6.1 million euros, and attempting to extract over 70 million euros from at least 33 others. But in 2009, Chikli says he chartered a private plane and flew back to Israel.
Sentenced in 2015
A French court in May 2015 sentenced him in absentia to seven years in prison. Instead, he’s been hanging out at his private swimming pool.
France issued two requests to Israel for Chikli’s arrest, the French Justice Ministry said. The first came the year after he escaped prosecution in France. The second came this January, according to a copy of the Interpol notice obtained by AP. It was issued just two weeks after the release of a new heist-thriller film based on Chikli’s life story, starring Julie Gayet, the companion of French President Francois Hollande. Chikli’s wife, Shirly, attended the Paris premiere of “Je Compte sur Vous” — released in English as “Thank You for Calling.”
Still, Israeli officials show no signs of going after Chikli, even as they prosecute his alleged copycats for similar crimes. Israel’s police and Justice Ministry declined to explain why, saying they do not discuss individual cases. Israeli police said they work with law enforcement from around the world to clamp down on fraud.
France’s Justice Ministry said the Interpol notice issued against Chikli is the equivalent of a provisional arrest warrant, with an aim to extradite a criminal to France. But Interpol cannot force a country to comply with arrest notices.