Binche woman robbed of €26,000 by fake Di Rupo

A 58-year-old woman from Binche has been defrauded of €26,000 because of her affection for the prime minister, Elio Di Rupo. Nicole Van Den Meerschaut met a man in an internet chat room, ostensibly named Marcel Dubois. First he borrowed money from her, claiming a banking error had denied him access to his own money. Then, knowing she was a fan, he promised to introduce her to Di Rupo, if she would pay some more. She did, and soon started receiving love letters in which the “prime minister” addressed her as “Chouchou” and “Mon amour”.

When a friend convinced her she was being lied to, she went to the police. Marcel Dubois turned out to be the alias of a Nigerian man with a record of fraud, but police said there was little chance of bringing him to justice. His victim, meanwhile, is €26,000 poorer – “Just about everything I had in my savings,” she said.

The real Elio Di Rupo was in Binche earlier this week, where he made a point of meeting Ms Van Den Meeschaut. The two spoke briefly, and the prime minister gave his fan a hug.