Christelle Doisy, 50 years old, could easily be the subject of a bestselling novel or a Netflix series. Nicknamed "the praying mantis" – surely for her infinite love of men… and their bank accounts – she is once again facing justice this week. It must be said that her specialty is collecting scams like others collect stamps. Fraud, forgery, bad checks, and even human trafficking. Nothing seems to stop her. Except, perhaps, a trial.
The story begins like a bad soap opera. Christelle, with a sly smile and an air of innocence, enters the courtroom with her arm in a sling. Because yes, in addition to being a professional scam artist, Doisy is a great actress. She claims to be amnesiac. Forgetting her misdeeds is a real talent! But unfortunately for her, it’s not quite perfected yet. The judges, however, have not forgotten anything, especially not her 48 offenses.
It all started a long time ago. Christelle, already married to Frédéric Descours, was leading a quiet life… or almost. The couple moved constantly, supposedly to escape hitmen (poor them, they have never been so busy). In reality, they moved from apartment to apartment, renting with bad checks and stealing the furniture. An ingenious strategy, because why buy furniture when you can steal it?
Christelle had another passion: men. Not for love, of course, but for their wallets. Take for example Bruno Lheureux, a worker she met in 2017. After a year of marriage, Bruno comes home one fine day, expecting to find his dear wife… but he only finds an empty apartment and eviction letters. Surprise! The praying mantis had been there, leaving behind a debt of 40,000 euros. A grand exit.
But don’t think that Doisy stops there. She has an incredible sense of innovation. She has even been accused of human trafficking. Just that! She allegedly held a nanny captive for several months. Just to add a touch of drama to her already busy life.
Frédéric Descours, her ex-partner, is in a delicate position. He loudly claims that he was just a victim of this manipulation. The poor soul didn’t know that his sweet half was a professional scam artist. It was only in 2016, during police custody, that he discovered everything was a lie. He never knew how much he was living in a telenovela.
And then, in 2020, after a short break, Doisy returns to the scam scene. This time, she targets a restaurant in the Alpes-Maritimes. After sending fake documents, she steals all the equipment. The owner, in debt up to his neck, will later recognize her during a television show. Christelle Doisy, star for a day, live on TV. A star is born!
But all good things come to an end. In November 2023, Doisy is finally arrested in Greece. She had tried to flee with her two children, once again leaving behind a series of scams. This time, she is extradited and must answer for her actions. Seven years in prison, that’s what she gets. A slight setback in her career as a scam artist, but knowing Christelle Doisy, she might just find a way to escape. With flair, of course.