Since Saturday evening, the whole of France seems to be shouting its love for Céline Dion, the diva star. But a man living in Belgium thought he had touched her woman’s heart. Since 2025, he was in fact convinced of having established a relationship through messages with the famous singer. An illusion which was not going to be without consequences.
“So that you love me again“: Transfers of 200, 300 euros…
Like the recent stories of feelings scam, (including that of Anne who thought she was dating Brad Pitt) the man, living near Antwerp, thought he would have the chance to converse with Céline Dion, on social networks. From confidence to confidence, a relationship develops between the two Internet users. The fake star (although far from being broke) then asserts that her team controls her money, and that she cannot spend anything as she wishes. To relieve the beauty a little, the father decides to transfer small sums to her, then larger ones.
Karla, the daughter of the frozen lover, testifies to this on the VRT media: “He transfers funds to her by purchasing gift cards of 200 to 300 euros from Carrefour, the codes of which he then transmits via their messaging system. In this way, he has already spent at least 10,000 euros.”
“I will go where you go“: He waits for her all day, in vain
Of course, no Celine Dion in the equation. The man actually faces what is called lovescamming. A scammer pretends to be a celebrity, floods the person she is scamming with messages of love, and often promises to leave everything for her.
In this specific case, the father also thought that Céline Dion was going to come and get him to escape by jet and finally experience their love that had until now been digital.
“On New Year’s Eve 2025, my father spent the whole day sitting at the door with his suitcases. Obviously, no one ever came” deplores his daughter today.
No duet. THE “I will go where you go” is short.
“If it was enough to love“: A vulnerable profile highlighted
But how can a thoughtful person fall for such a big trap? This is the question that often comes up when faced with the multitude of stories of this type. Yet it’s all about feelings and flaws. According to the website cybermalveillance.gouv, romantic fraud consists of the scammer making sure that the victim develops feelings towards him in order to extract money from him. And he is ready to say whatever the victim wants. A practice that works especially on a certain profile, explains clinical psychologist Johanna Rozenblum.
“People who fall victim to online romance scams often have a certain commonality in common.
solitude or a need for affection, especially if they are going through a period of emotional fragility such as bereavement, separation, difficulties in their
couple or at work.
These scams particularly affect mature, often isolated women, but they can affect people of all ages and from all backgrounds.
“These people sometimes seek a sincere connection and trust individuals who exploit this vulnerability by being caring and flattering. Scammers play on emotions, creating believable stories to justify demands for money, and profit from the idealization of love
romantic or the lack of distrust towards online dating”.
“All by myself“: Protect yourself from grazers in a few rules
The role of those around you can then play to put an end to the charade and protect the target. According to Johanna Rozenblum, to protect yourself from online romance scams, it is essential to remain vigilant and develop critical thinking. For this reason certain points are non-negotiable, even (and especially) if you are looking for love.
- Never share personal or financial information with anyone you have not met face to face;
- Be wary of overly perfect profiles or quick declarations of love, especially if the relationship begins online;
- Check the stories for inconsistencies, and if possible, do a reverse image search of the photos your interviewer used;
- Never give in to requests for money, whatever the reason or urgency given;
- Take the time to talk about this relationship with loved ones or friends to get an outside perspective;
- Finally, learn to recognize the typical signs of scams, such as constant excuses for not meeting or complicated stories justifying financial needs.
And if you think you are caught in such a scam, there are other actions you can take.
- Immediately cut off all contact with the scammer;
- Keep messages, photos and exchanges;
- File a complaint with the available information;
- Report the profile to the platform concerned;
- Quickly notify your bank if banking data has been transmitted.
It is also possible to contact the Info Scams platform of the Ministry of the Interior on 0 805 805 817, a free service intended to support victims.
Finally, a principle should remain in mind according to our psychologist
“In short, when we are in a situation of psychological fragility, care, help and comfort are rarely found through a virtual relationship…”.
In Belgium, the story ends on a bitter note. Despite his family’s warnings, the man continued to believe in this fictitious relationship. Perhaps knowing the singer in Paris, for a series of concerts, without receiving the slightest personal invitation will be a revelation…