Man drives 760 km to meet French model he believed was his ‘future wife,’ finds her husband instead

A Belgian man’s 472-mile (760 kilometers) journey to France in hopes of meeting his “future wife” ended in an awkward and startling encounter with her actual husband, in what appears to be a case of online romance fraud, according to Fox News.

The man, identified only as Michel, believed he had been speaking with French model Sophie Vouzelaud online. Convinced they were in a relationship, he drove from Belgium to her home—only to be greeted by her husband, 38-year-old Fabien Boutamine.

The tense moment was partly captured on video by Boutamine, who later posted the footage online. “I have to film because there’s a guy who just rang my doorbell, and he says ‘I’m the future husband of Sophie Vouzelaud’,” Boutamine said in the clip. “Well, I’m the current one. There’s going to be a confrontation.”

What followed was an uncomfortable exchange, with Michel insisting on his version of events, while Boutamine attempted to understand the misunderstanding.

Vouzelaud, who was first runner-up in Miss France 2007, later shared the video on Instagram. In a caption written in French, she said, when translated: “I feel so sorry for this man… Beware of fake accounts. I’m sharing this video to show it’s real and to urge everyone to stay vigilant. Take care of yourselves.”

Faced with clear evidence that he had been misled, Michel eventually admitted that “something might indeed be wrong” with what he believed.

“I think she played a dirty trick on me,” he could be heard saying.

“My wife, no, it’s the fake accounts,” Boutamine responded. “You have to be very careful.”

Michel later revealed he had sent $35,000 to someone posing as Vouzelaud online.