Police in the Czech Republic have accused six people of fraudulently depriving seniors of electricity and gas overpayments worth tens of millions of crowns. The case targets so-called energy sellers who acted as intermediaries. They offered customers a switch to a new supplier or a more advantageous tariff, while allegedly manipulating contract terms so that refunds for overpaid energy bills would never reach consumers. In a typical setup, households pay advance payments throughout the year. At the end of the billing period, customers should receive back any surplus if they used less than they paid for. According to the accusations, no refunds were made, and the money instead went elsewhere. Police investigated the matter and concluded the actions meet the elements of the criminal offence of fraud. The alleged conduct was described as repeated and targeted, with a large number of victims and a total loss in the tens of millions. Fraud charges carry serious potential penalties in the Czech legal system. The crime is set out in Section 209 of the Criminal Code, and if the damage exceeds the threshold for “major damage” above 5 million crowns, offenders face a possible prison sentence from five to 10 years. The six accused are charged and now face standard criminal proceedings. The case remains at the accusation stage, with the court to decide the outcome.