‘Hairdryer or lighter?’ French police look at claim of sensor tampering to win weather bets
Summary
French police are investigating claims that someone tampered with a weather sensor at Paris’s Charles de Gaulle airport to influence online bets on temperature predictions. The bets involved large sums of money, and unusual temperature spikes coincided with significant winnings by some gamblers on the Polymarket platform.Key Facts
- Police are looking into a complaint from Météo-France about possible physical tampering with a temperature sensor.
- The sensor data was used to settle bets on Polymarket, an online weather betting platform.
- On some days, bets over $500,000 were placed on Paris temperatures, with sudden temperature jumps benefiting certain gamblers.
- Three wallets made over $280,000 from bets that the temperature would reach 19°C on April 15.
- Some bettors shared images joking about using a hairdryer or lighter to alter the sensor.
- Polymarket stopped using the Charles de Gaulle sensor and switched to one at Paris-Le Bourget airport but didn’t cancel bets or refund money.
- Polymarket’s investors include a venture capital firm owned by Donald Trump Jr.
- The betting platform’s data is attracting interest from traders and investors, raising concerns about market manipulation.
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