A Belgian man has travelled 760km (472 miles) to meet a French beauty queen he had been led to believe would be his future wife, only to realise he had been a victim of online romance fraud.
Michel, 76, turned up at the home of Sophie Vouzelaud in France but was met by the model’s husband.
He told Ms Vouzelaud’s husband, Fabien, he had paid €30,000 ($35,000) to the scammers and thought he had been in a romantic relationship for several weeks.
I am an imbecile,” the man said to the couple as he contemplated taking the long journey back.
Michel’s misadventure became known after a video of his unfortunate encounter with the couple was shared online by Fabien.
For weeks, the Belgian – a widower of four years – had been communicating on WhatsApp with who he thought was Ms Vouzelaud, former Miss Limousin and first runner-up to Miss France in 2007.
He turned up outside the couple’s property in Saint-Julien, some 420km (270 miles) south of Paris, on 9 July and according to Fabien said: “I am the future husband of Sophie Vouzelaud”, to which he retorted: “Well, I’m the current one.”
Ms Vouzelaud, 38, then tried to explain to him that he had been swindled and the couple urged him to go to the police to file a complaint. It is not clear if he has done so.
Romance fraud is when someone is conned into sending money to a criminal who convinces them they are in a genuine relationship. (BBC)
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