Romance scam victim travels 700km 'to marry French beauty queen'
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.
How to avoid romance scams
According to Action Fraud, signs of romance fraud include a person being secretive about their relationship or becoming hostile or angry when asked about their online partner.They may have sent, or be planning to send, money to someone they have never met in person.Advice for protecting yourself against scams includes:Be suspicious of any requests for money from someone you have never met in person, particularly if you have only recently met onlineSpeak to your family or friends to get adviceProfile photos may not be genuine, so do your research first. Performing a reverse image search using a search engine can help you find photos that have been stolen from somewhere elseAdvice for supporting a victim of a scam includes:Reassure your loved one you are there for them and it is not their faultImprove your own understanding about romance scamsRemember to look after yourself, too - supporting someone through romance fraud can be toughSource: Action Fraud / Victim Support
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The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
England condemn racist ‘online poison' aimed at Jess Carter during Euro 2025
England have condemned the 'online poison' of racist abuse directed at the defender Jess Carter during the European Championship in Switzerland and said they would stop taking a knee before matches because 'football needs to find another way to tackle racism'. Carter received criticism after her performance in England's defeat against France in their opening game of the tournament and was subsequently shifted from left-back to centre-back. She struggled again during Thursday's quarter-final victory against Sweden and has now revealed the unacceptable vitriol she has been a victim of while on international duty. 'From the start of the tournament I have experienced a lot of racial abuse,' the 27-year-old defender wrote on Instagram. 'While I feel every fan is entitled to their opinion on performance and result I don't agree or think it's OK to target someone's appearance or race. As a result of this I will be taking a step back from social media and leaving it to a team to deal with.' Carter has received widespread support, most emphatically from her teammates. In a collective statement, the Lionesses said: 'Representing our country is the greatest honour. It is not right that while we are doing that, some of us are treated differently simply because of the colour of our skin. Until now, we have chosen to take the knee before matches. It is clear we and football need to find another way to tackle racism. We have agreed as a squad to remain standing before kick‑off on Tuesday.' The statement added: 'Those behind this online poison must be held accountable.' Lotte Wubben-Moy went further by announcing she was also coming off social media. In a statement, the Arsenal defender said: 'Another tournament goes by where we see the same disgusting racist abuse. It is unacceptable for any person to be subject to this or any kind of abuse. The issue goes beyond sport. But what is being done about it? On the very platforms we post on? I will not continue to feed the very platform that enables abuse with no consequence.' Speaking about the Lionesses' decision to stop taking the knee, Lucy Bronze said: 'It was driven by the group – obviously certain individuals more than others. I think it was just the fact that we feel as a collective, is the message as strong as it used to be? Is the message really hitting hard? Because to us it feels like it's not if these things are still happening to our players in the biggest tournaments of their lives. 'It's about putting another statement out there to say, you know, it's something that still is a problem, it's something that still needs to be put right. More needs to be done in football, more needs to be done in society, what that is right now as an individual, I don't exactly know. But it's something that we collectively as a team and as a federation want to work towards, we want to make changes. This is a small step trying to create another change.' The Football Association is working with authorities to track down those responsible for targeting Carter. The chief executive, Mark Bullingham, said: 'As soon as we were made aware of the racist abuse Jess received, we immediately contacted UK police. They are in touch with the relevant social media platform, and we are working with police to ensure those responsible for this hate crime are brought to justice. 'Regrettably, this is not the first time this has happened to an England player, so we had measures in place to allow us to respond quickly and where possible provide information to support any potential police action. We will continue to discuss with the relevant authorities and social media companies about what more can and should be done to prevent this abhorrent abuse.' Sign up to Moving the Goalposts No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a twice-weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women's football after newsletter promotion Kick It Out has also come out in support of Carter, backing her decision 'to look after her own wellbeing', with the prime minister also standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the player. 'There is no place for racism in football or anywhere in society,' Keir Starmer said in a statement. 'I stand with Jess, the Lionesses, and any players who have suffered racism, on and off the pitch.' Uefa condemned what had happened, saying 'abuse and discrimination should never be tolerated, whether in football or society, in person or online' – a stance shared by the player's club, Gotham FC. 'We are heartbroken and outraged by the racist abuse directed at Jess Carter,' Gotham said in a statement. 'Jess is not only a world-class football player – she is a role model, a leader and a valued part of our family. At Gotham, we believe in a culture of mutual respect and remain committed to building a game – and a community – where everyone feels safe, respected and celebrated. There is no place for racism in our sport.' Carter, who was excellent in England's 4-0 group stage victory against the Netherlands, went on to thank 'genuine' England fans for their support, making clear her 'focus is on helping the team any way I can' before their semi-final against Italy on Tuesday. 'Hopefully, speaking out will make the people writing this abuse think twice so that others won't have to deal with it,' she said. 'We have made some historic changes with this Lionesses squad that I am so proud to be a part of and my hope is that by speaking out about this it will make another positive change for all.'
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Hair-brained honeytrap: Bungling kidnap gang lure celebrity Belgian barber to London after they wrongly thought he had a £500k cryptocurrency fortune... then drop him off to catch train when plot unravels
A barber to footballers was lured to London in a 'honeytrap' plot by bungling thugs who demanded £500,000 – then discovered he had only £2,000. Quentin Cepeljac, from Belgium, was tricked into travelling to the capital by a gang who believed he was also a wealthy cryptocurrency trader. But after threatening him with a machete, they learned his crypto accounts held just £6.71 – leading one to exclaim: 'Are you kidding me?' One of his hapless assailants even had to leave the scene of the crime early because he was wearing a tag and had to be home to meet an 8pm curfew. The 'bait' in the honeytrap was Belgian Davina Raaymakers, now 20, who was living in Acton, west London, with her boyfriend Adlan Haji, 28. Their accomplices, who Isleworth Crown Court heard added 'muscle' to the endeavour, were 30-year-old Alexander Khalil, of Hampstead, and 24-year-old Omar Sharif, of Cricklewood. Mr Cepeljac, 21, who cuts the hair of football stars in Belgium, had been befriended on TikTok and Instagram by a blonde 18-year-old who promised to spend a weekend with him at a luxury tenth-floor flat in central London. But when he arrived to meet Raaymakers, he was led to a basement bedsit in Shepherd's Bush and attacked. The 'bait' in the honeytrap was Belgian Davina Raaymakers (left) who was living in west London, with her boyfriend Adlan Haji (right) Mr Cepeljac was grabbed and had a machete held to his neck and another knife to his leg while being punched and kicked in the stomach. In the nine-hour ordeal, his attackers threatened to kill him and showed him footage of them purporting to stab someone to show the terrified barber what they were capable of. They also took all his belongings, including his passport, phone and Louis Vuitton wallet embossed with his initials. Prosecutor Nicholas Dunham KC said the gang demanded £500,000 to be transferred to them. But Mr Cepeljac said: 'I don't have that kind of money.' Haji responded: 'Are you kidding me?' They then reduced the demand to £50,000 – before settling for the £2,000 he had in his current account, which they split among themselves, friends and family. The gang then forced Mr Cepeljac to phone a friend in Belgium to plead for money. But the friend called Belgian police, who contacted officers in London. The Metropolitan Police's Flying Squad was then waiting for Mr Cepeljac when his attackers – realising he was of no use to them – returned him to St Pancras to catch the Eurostar back to Brussels. Mr Cepeljac led police to the now deserted Airbnb flat in Shepherd's Bush, where officers found it had been forensically cleaned with bleach. Through CCTV footage, phone data and tracing who had booked the Airbnb, officers tracked down the culprits three months later. Detective Constable Jim Holland of the Flying Squad said: 'We've never had one like this before, a person honeytrapped in the UK who's come from abroad and had this happen to him.' Raaymakers had told Mr Cepeljac she came from a wealthy family who had properties abroad, while Mr Cepeljac – who is also an influencer in Belgium – told her that he dealt in cryptocurrency with some degree of success. After meeting in person in Brussels, he arrived in London on May 5 last year. But when he turned up at the address he had been given, he was jumped by Haji, along with Khalil and Sharif, who had their faces covered. Mr Dunham said: 'Mr Haji grabbed him by the neck and held a large knife or machete to his throat ... At this point Miss Raaymakers exited the premises.' He added that Sharif had to leave at around 7.30pm because he was electronically tagged due to an earlier offence and needed to be home by 8pm. He said an associate of the gang accompanied Mr Cepeljac to St Pancras in a taxi the following morning and returned his passport and phone. In his victim impact statement, Mr Cepeljac said he now suffers flashbacks, has trouble sleeping, being alone or leaving his home, and finds it difficult to trust other people, particularly women. Each of defendants, who are all unemployed, admitted blackmail and will be sentenced later. Recorder Nicola Shannon KC said they would face long jail terms. The maximum sentence for blackmail is 14 years in prison.
The Sun
2 hours ago
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BBC star reveals horror after landlord recorded naked images on hidden spy cam
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