A WOMAN has spoken out about how she was conned out of £25,000 by someone who pretended to be a German pop star – who she was madly in love with.
It all started when Valerie (her name has been changed) commented on the Instagram page of Thomas Anders, who thrilled fans with his band Modern Talking in the 80s.
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After receiving a reply to her comment, the woman was enthused.
Valerie, who lives in Albi in southern France, told La Dépèche: “We then started to exchange private messages, first in English, then in French.”
Over time, the purported star began promising her a passionate future together.
“He would tell me we was going to divorce, that we would get married and live together,” Valerie, who has been living alone for several years after difficult relationships, explained.
Having not met in person yet, Valerie sent the man of her dreams a copy of her ID, after he told her he wanted to appoint her manager of his charitable organisation.
Sadly, when Valerie’s mother passed away, the woman leaned on “Thomas” for support, but it wasn’t long until he enquired about her potential inheritance.
She said: “He told me he had plans for us but that he was badly in debt and that I had to contribute financially while waiting for him to solve his problems.”
The man asked her to send him some money to purchase a flat for them in Paris, to pay for train tickets to come and visit her, and to finance parts of his new video clip.
To make the payments, Valerie sent so-called vouchers for CPS prepaid credit cards, which she buys and tops up at her local tobacconist.
In just one day, for instance, the woman who works in a real estate agency, sent him over £2,550 on prepaid credit cards.
In love, Valerie had to draw from her instant access savings account in which she had deposited her inheritance money.
When the woman started questioning his claims, the suspected fraudster always had a valid answer, she said.
Valerie claimed the man even produced a notarial deed which reportedly showed that the purchase of their Paris flat was underway. It turned out to be a fake.
After realising she had sent almost all her inheritance to her “idol”, Valerie had to admit that she had been duped – and conned out of £25,000.
She told La Depeche that she although she severed all contact with the man, she continues to receive phone calls or messages from other Instagram accounts to elicit a response from her.
After going to the police station in Albi, Valerie registered a pre-complaint online and sent a letter to the Public Prosecutor of Albi.
The alleged victim is now awaiting for a judicial follow-up of the case, which she said may help her turn a new leaf.
