New drama at the Louvre: large-scale fraud involving counterfeit tickets uncovered

BarcelonaA police operation at the Louvre has uncovered a large-scale fraud at the Parisian museum. A network was involved in selling counterfeit tickets and overselling guided tours, particularly to Chinese tourists, according to media reports. Le Parisien As reported by EFE, the police raid carried out on February 10, following an anti-fraud report from the museum itself, resulted in the arrest of nine people, including two museum employees and two tour guides, suspected of being part of an organized network. Three vehicles, €130,000 in cash, nearly €200,000 in bank accounts, and several bank safe deposit boxes containing the same amount of cash were seized.

Since the jewelry robbery of October 19, 2025The Louvre Museum has faced a series of problems that have highlighted its structural and management weaknesses. The robbery, in which eight French Crown Jewels valued at 88 million euros were stolen, exposed the obsolescence of its security systems. The coordination and system errors led to the creation of a new security management and committee, as well as the announcement of the installation of one hundred cameras and a police station. Following this, the museum has had to partially close due to problems with some beams, a flood that damaged hundreds of antique books, and an indefinite staff strike—which forces the most visited museum in France to close intermittently. 2026 has continued with partial reopenings and delays in its comprehensive renovation plan.