by Stefano Montefiori, correspondent from Paris
A gang of scammers is behind the sentimental fraud of a 33yearold Parisian. Between private jets, luxury hotels and gourmet dinners, the group tried to get 20,000 euros delivered with promises of quick and easy revenue
PARIS A woman with a fake Italian passport, Virginie B., appears to be the coordinator of a gang of scammers targeting 33yearold Parisian Edwige, believing she has found the man of her life. Who was actually an actor involved in an articulate staging aimed at stealing the woman’s life savings. Luckily, Edwige was fooled for a while but managed to return to sea to press charges. Prosecutors are investigating to rebuild the network, track down those responsible and see if anyone else fell into the trap.
Meeting the fake billionaire model
The story, told by Le Parisien newspaper, begins with an encounter on Instagram. Edwige, divorced, lives in a small house in Massy, on the southern outskirts of Paris. One day, on her Instagram, she is courted by a man who claims to be Arturo Pastor and lives in Monte Carlo. The surname Pastor immediately evokes the great Monegasque family that knew how to build a real estate fortune and that helped build the Principality, and he confirms that he is a part of it. The virtual exchange continues, he gets the lady’s address and sends her flowers to her home or to the beauty salon every day. Arturo, 40, billionaire, also sends her photos in which he appears very fascinating.
The first doubts
One day, in March 2021, Arturo told Edwige in a chat that he was in his office in the famous Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai. The woman decides to surprise him, takes a plane and meets him in Dubai, but nobody at the Burj Khalifa Tower seems to know him. He explains that her identity is protected for security reasons and advises her to return to Paris, the meeting is postponed. Edwige is very disappointed and becomes suspicious, but as soon as she arrives at the house, Arturo proves how much she cares about her: Within half an hour she is standing in front of her house surrounded by bodyguards with an Eastern accent: Our boss She asks us to make sure they explain that everything is fine and that she feels safe. Edwige once complained about a difficult relationship with her exhusband, her daughter’s father. A few days later, the same characters call him: If you bother Edwige, we’ll hang you from a tree and we’ll get your elderly parents in trouble too. The man lodged a complaint with the public prosecutor’s office in Versailles, without success.
The scam attempt
Finally, Arturo shows up at Edwige’s in Massy a few months later, escorted by three dark cars. He doesn’t seem a perfect match for the man in the photos, being shorter, thin and handsome, but he says his identity needs to be protected. The couple dines in a luxury restaurant on the Place de la Madeleine and the virtual love story is lived out in reality, on weekends in Cannes and Saint Tropez, between scheduled flights and private jets. Sometimes Arturo forgets to pay for his credit card and Edwige, but then he makes up for it by offering her $5,000 in bitcoin and some advice: if she gives him €20,000, he’ll be able to make the most of it in no time.
At this point, better late than never, the woman realizes that she is the focus of a scam. The man posing as Arturo Pastor is actually called Julien P., a security guard by profession. Evry’s prosecutor is investigating the protagonist of the fraud and especially the network around Virginie B.
March 29, 2022 (Change March 29, 2022 | 15:02)
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