Romance rip-off sufferer travels 700km ‘to marry French magnificence queen’

[ad_1] <img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/2479/live/d8e29370-63ea-11f0-82cf-cfdaec0ea16c.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/2479/live/d8e29370-63ea-11f0-82cf-cfdaec0ea16c.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/2479/live/d8e29370-63ea-11f0-82cf-cfdaec0ea16c.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/2479/live/d8e29370-63ea-11f0-82cf-cfdaec0ea16c.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/2479/live/d8e29370-63ea-11f0-82cf-cfdaec0ea16c.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/2479/live/d8e29370-63ea-11f0-82cf-cfdaec0ea16c.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/2479/live/d8e29370-63ea-11f0-82cf-cfdaec0ea16c.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/2479/live/d8e29370-63ea-11f0-82cf-cfdaec0ea16c.jpg.webp" loading="eager" alt="Foc Kan/WireImage via Getty Images Sophie Vouzelaud with long auburn hair and wearing a white short and black jacket in Paris, France, in October 2023." class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/> Foc Kan/WireImage by way of Getty Photographs Sophie Vouzelaud was first runner-up to Miss France in 2007

A Belgian man has travelled 760km (472 miles) to fulfill a French magnificence queen he had been led to consider can be his future spouse, solely to understand he had been a sufferer of on-line romance fraud.

Michel, 76, turned up on the residence of Sophie Vouzelaud in France however was met by the mannequin's husband.

He instructed 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 a number of weeks.

"I'm an imbecile," the person stated to the couple as he contemplated taking the lengthy journey again.

Michel's misadventure grew to become recognized after a video of his unlucky encounter with the couple was shared on-line by Fabien.

For weeks, the Belgian - a widower of 4 years - had been speaking on WhatsApp with who he thought was Ms Vouzelaud, former Miss Limousin and first runner-up to Miss France in 2007.

He turned up exterior the couple's property in Saint-Julien, some 420km (270 miles) south of Paris, on 9 July and in response to Fabien stated: "I'm the longer term husband of Sophie Vouzelaud", to which he retorted: "Nicely, I am the present one."

Ms Vouzelaud, 38, then tried to clarify to him that he had been swindled and the couple urged him to go to the police to file a criticism. It's not clear if he has completed so.

Romance fraud is when somebody is conned into sending cash to a felony who convinces them they're in a real relationship.

Find out how to keep away from romance scams

In accordance with Motion Fraud, indicators of romance fraud embrace an individual being secretive about their relationship or changing into hostile or offended when requested about their on-line companion.

They might have despatched, or be planning to ship, cash to somebody they've by no means met in particular person.

Recommendation for safeguarding your self in opposition to scams contains:

Be suspicious of any requests for cash from somebody you have got by no means met in particular person, significantly when you have solely not too long ago met on-line Communicate to your loved ones or buddies to get recommendation Profile pictures might not be real, so do your analysis first. Performing a reverse picture search utilizing a search engine may help you discover pictures which were stolen from some place else Recommendation for supporting a sufferer of a rip-off contains:

Reassure your beloved you're there for them and it's not their fault Enhance your individual understanding about romance scams Bear in mind to take care of your self, too - supporting somebody by means of romance fraud could be powerful Supply: Motion Fraud / Sufferer Assist