Credit: @sophievouzelaud_off/Instagram
A Belgian man travelled nearly 500 miles to meet a French beauty queen who he thought was his future wife – only to find out that he had been the victim of a romance scam.
The man, who called himself Michel, turned up at the home of Sophie Vouzelaud, in Saint-Julien, and announced: “I am the future husband of Sophie Vouzelaud.”
Her husband, Fabien, came out and said to Michel: “Well, I’m the current one.”
Ms Vouzelaud is a former Miss Limousin and Miss France 2007 runner-up. She has nearly 300,000 followers on Instagram and posts frequently about her life on social media.
Michel, 76, believed that he had been speaking on WhatsApp to the French model for weeks and had even sent £25,000 – which he thought was going to be paid back.
Sophie and her husband Fabien, who recognised that Michel had been duped by a fake account – Facebook
“I think she played a dirty trick on me,” Michel said.
In desperation, Michel showed the husband his phone, and the string of messages exchanged between himself and the person he believed to be Ms Vouzelaud.
“My wife, no, it’s the fake accounts,” Fabien replied. “You have to be very careful.”
Soon, Michel realised that he had been swindled, and told the couple: “I am an imbecile.”
Part of the exchange was captured on video and posted on social media by Fabien. In an accompanying message, he warned people of the dangers of romance scams, where someone is conned into sending money to a criminal who convinces them they are in a genuine relationship.
Ms Vouzelaud is a former Miss France 2007 runner-up
Ms Vouzeland on her wedding day
“I feel so sorry for this man. Watch out for fake accounts, I’m sharing this video to show you it’s real and to be vigilant! Take care of yourself.”
The Belgian man is believed to be a widower of four years and looking to find love again.
Ms Vouzelaud, 38, urged him to go to the police to file a complaint. It is not clear whether or not he has.
Ms Vouzelaud said the incident “hurts my heart.”
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