“I can never complain again”
Ria got to know the man in question months ago via a dating site. He acted like Michel, a Flemish with a seriously ill child. His story aroused so much confidence and compassion that Ria repeatedly transferred him to medical treatments. “He has worked on my feelings. I kept that up for far too long,” she says. In total she lost almost 50,000 euros.
Although various authorities tried to warn her of possible fraud, Ria did not want to know anything about it. Her feelings for the man were now too strong.
The Kees team decides to investigate the case and soon finds out that ‘Michel’ does not come from Belgium at all. With the help of a digital fall, they know how to obtain photos of the real scammer. “This is him. I think it’s an eighteen boy,” says Kees, showing Ria the images.
The photos lead them to a slum near Abidjan. Together with Ria and a local guide, the team manages to find out the location of the scammer. Due to the risky circumstances, they decide not to enter into direct confrontation, but to go to the police first.
That visit to the police station is ultimately far from smooth. “Not normal. So we spent 7.5 hours at the police station,” says Kees. The agents did not take the case seriously and just before they wanted to leave, things went wrong. “Then the highest boss saw us walking and he said,” You stay here. ” Very strict. Only after Kees and his team explained all their evidence step by step did the attitude of the agents change.
Kees ultimately gets permission to arrest the scammer together with the police, but not directly. “We were finally allowed to arrest the crook tomorrow, but two policemen don’t feel like it, because it’s weekend,” says Kees Cynisch. The promotion is therefore postponed until Monday.
When the moment comes, Kees, Ria and the team return to the neighborhood together with a group of agents. “I think there is such a bother of my shoulders for me tonight,” says Ria, just before the promotion. After a few exciting hours, the suspect is eventually arrested. “We have him. He is caught,” Kees shouts relieved.
For Ria it is an emotional moment. She gets the chance to look at her scammer. “I gave you almost 50,000 euros. You are disturbed,” she snarls him while he is fascinated and crying on a wall.
Ria also reported in the Netherlands, but to her astonishment, she was laughed at there by agents. They thought it was her own fault that she had been kicked in the lies of the scammer. In Ivory Coast, that reaction is completely different. “I am very grateful for that,” she says with tears in her eyes. Kees is impressed by the local commitment: “Isn’t really normal right? They have nothing here.”
On the way back to the hotel, after a day full of emotions, Ria looks back on what happened. “It’s just deep grim where we are. I’m going home again tomorrow, I have everything.” Kees nods and says, “What an adventure we have experienced, isn’t it?” To which Ria concludes: “They will never take this to me again, but these images do not and that does a lot to me. I can never complain again.”
Kees van der Spek unmasked See every Monday at 8.30 pm at RTL 5.
