Scammers and Solitudes: What the Marie-José, 82, Case Reveals

Marie-Josée, 82 years old, was featured on "Sept à Huit" on TF1, following her controversial romance with a scammer from Abidjan, much to the dismay of her family who remained in France

Marie-José, 82 years old, left her Norman home one September morning, taking with her two Samsonite suitcases, a photo of her dog Filou, and an unwavering faith in love. She was flying to Abidjan, a city she only knew from Google Images and the passionate promises of Christ, a young man of 28 years, who had charmed her on Facebook with his imperfect French but a heart, she said, "bigger than the Atlantic."

Thus begins a fantastic story that has shaken news channels and fueled bar debates. Revealed by the show Sept à Huit, this news item is part of a well-known digital trend among web police: romantic scams by "brouteurs".

Marie-José’s son, a dentist in Fécamp, raised the alarm. He reported to the police the existence of an emotional predator using romantic schemes to scam his mother. But she remains undeterred. She denies the danger, rejects the accusations, and demands, more furious than tearful: “Let me love!”

Many single women, like Marie-José, wish to escape emotional silence. They often imagine a new life elsewhere, sometimes at the expense of rational common sense. Behind this grateful look often lies a thirst for contact, tenderness, and recognition. Our elders no longer expect passion, but simply a regular exchange. The scammer knows this and cunningly prepares daily messages that no close one takes the time to write.
Many single women, like Marie-José, wish to escape emotional silence. They often imagine a new life elsewhere, sometimes at the expense of rational common sense. Behind this grateful look often lies a thirst for contact, tenderness, and recognition. Our elders no longer expect passion, but simply a regular exchange. The scammer knows this and cunningly prepares daily messages that no close one takes the time to write.

The phenomenon of "brouteurs": a well-oiled machine

In the bustling world of romantic scams, the "brouteur" is king. The term, which appeared in Côte d’Ivoire in the nouchi (urban slang), refers to a "gleaner," a "wealth gatherer." In practice, it’s a virtuoso of romantic copy-pasting. They copy romantic speeches down to the comma, paste them into the messaging apps of targeted victims, often isolated, widowed, or vulnerable people.

A true "brouteur" manages up to fifteen "sweethearts" or "darlings" simultaneously. They juggle identities: UN general, single father, surgeon on a mission. Anything goes to soften hearts. Then come the stages: phone breakdown, sick grandmother, urgent need for money. The emotional becomes a cash machine.

For some scammers, it's not a crime, but a profession. In the absence of local opportunities, manipulating foreign hearts becomes a survival strategy. Desperation fuels the most cunning imagination.
For some scammers, it’s not a crime, but a profession. In the absence of local opportunities, manipulating foreign hearts becomes a survival strategy. Desperation fuels the most cunning imagination.

In 2023, according to Cybermalveillance.gouv, romantic scams have exploded. +91% compared to the previous year. The average age of victims is 68 years. And losses can reach several tens of thousands of euros. In reality, they are not just victims of their naivety: they are also victims of their loneliness.

A social revenge from West African neighborhoods

Yaya Koné, an anthropologist, has observed the "brouteurs" from the cybercafés of Abobo and Yopougon. In Le Journal des anthropologues, he talks about a "reinvention of work". For these young people without prospects, "broutage" is an economic activity. The word "bara," which means "work," covers both the construction site and the mobile phone. “If Europe takes our raw materials, we take their grannies,” jokes a former repentant "brouteur."

With a smartphone or a few coins for the cybercafé, young men become formidable strategists. They use these tools to develop impressive skills in digital strategy. They juggle up to fifteen romantic conversations a day. The digital poverty of some meets the emotional poverty of others. At least as long as there is cash...
With a smartphone or a few coins for the cybercafé, young men become formidable strategists. They use these tools to develop impressive skills in digital strategy. They juggle up to fifteen romantic conversations a day. The digital poverty of some meets the emotional poverty of others. At least as long as there is cash…

This logic is one of economic revenge fantasy. The North is rich, the South poor. The North is old, the South young. The "brouteur" overturns the established order. He sells nothing, he "makes people fall in love." And for some, that is enough to moralize their actions.

There is a sociology of idleness here. Young people trained in digital skills but unemployed. An urban youth, connected, inspired by French rap videos and TikTok accounts. They do not wage war, they engage in "affect-warfare."

The judicial investigation: a late but necessary response

Alerted by the media coverage of the case, the French justice system reacted. The Rouen prosecutor’s office reopened the investigation for abuse of weakness. A rare measure in this type of case. But what to do when the victim refuses their status as a victim? Marie-José declared: “I am not a fool, I am in love!”

The Seine-Maritime police collaborate with Interpol and the Ivorian police. But the obstacles are numerous. Platforms poorly protect victims. Money transfers via Western Union are difficult to trace. Operation Jackal, launched by Interpol, has led to several arrests. But for every head cut off, ten more grow.

Activists and "brouteur" traps

To fill the institutional void, some activists get involved. The YouTuber Méta-Brouteur responds to scammers’ messages and pushes their logic to the absurd. Then, he exposes them in educational videos to raise awareness among his audience. Others, like Victor Baissait or Sandoz, conduct real online counter-investigations.

Associations like AVESE support victims. They offer support groups, psychological support, and legal advice. Because the wound is deep: it is not just a financial loss, it is a betrayal of the heart.

And yet, amidst suspicions and deceptive deals, some mixed couples defy prejudices. They laugh, build, and endure. Their strength: a love based on equality, a sincere project, often born from a deep cultural exchange rather than a commercial illusion.
And yet, amidst suspicions and deceptive deals, some mixed couples defy prejudices. They laugh, build, and endure. Their strength: a love based on equality, a sincere project, often born from a deep cultural exchange rather than a commercial illusion.

Emotional fractures and disconnected societies

This case highlights two fractures. The digital divide, first. A generation poorly trained in the dangers of the web, still marked by instinctive trust. The emotional divide, second. Because deep down, why did Marie-José fly to Abidjan? Out of a need for exoticism? No. Out of a need to be seen as a woman, still, at 82 years old.

Western society is aging but isolating. It pushes its elders into sanitized nursing homes and deserts their romantic imaginations. The web, however, has no age barriers. It promises everyone a second chance.

Loving, despite everything

Marie-José’s story is a bittersweet farce. A 21st-century vaudeville with modems and Western Union transfers. It is also a social alert. We must better prevent, educate, support. But above all, we must relearn to surround our elders.

"Brouteurs" do not thrive in a vacuum. They take advantage of our collective failures. The fight against this crime also involves a change in perspective on old age, late love, and everyone’s place in a hyperconnected society.

Marie-José wants to love. And that is what concerns us all. Because deep down, "brouteurs" or not, we all seek one thing: not to grow old alone.

PS: All photos are illustrative… any resemblance would be purely coincidental

This article was written by Émilie Schwartz.