Florent Montaclair, who taught without incident for 20 years at a university in Besançon, eastern France, received the so-called Gold Medal of Philology at a 2016 ceremony at the National Assembly in Paris attended by ministers and Nobel laureates.

Prosecutors now believe both the prize and the awarding body – the International Society of Philology – were fabricated by Montaclair.

“It’s such an unlikely tale, it could be out of a film” said prosecutor Paul-Edouard Lallois.

Investigators say the scheme began in 2015 when local media reported Montaclair was shortlisted for a Nobel-style award. He was later declared the winner.

The affair gained further attention when Montaclair presented an honorary medal to the linguist and political writer Noam Chomsky at a Brussels ceremony.

Authorities also allege Montaclair falsely claimed a doctorate from a non-existent university in Delaware.

Montaclair denies wrongdoing, reportedly telling police: “It’s not a con. It’s an attempt to set up a new distinction in the world of academia – an attempt that failed.”