If this story were told to the most famous romance novelists, they would be left with their mouths agape, acknowledging that their imaginations could never reach such a level. It’s a tale filled with emotional shocks and an unconventional, happy ending that even filmmakers would struggle to portray without being accused of exaggeration. It involves a woman deceived by someone impersonating a famous model, only for fate to intervene and have the real model fall in love with her. As the saying goes, “Perhaps you dislike something, but it is good for you.”
The story begins in 2015 with Emma Perrier, a 35-year-old Englishwoman of French descent, who was recovering from a failed romance. After spending several months at home watching movies to forget the past, she decided it was time to move on and start afresh. This time, her only option was online dating apps. Choosing to avoid dubious apps, she selected one with a good reputation, seeking a serious romantic relationship. She created a profile and took a series of selfies to display on it.
Emma was an incredibly beautiful woman. As soon as she posted her photos, she received positive responses from app users. Shortly after, she received a private message from an attractive Italian man named Ronaldo Schiclona. However, the app initially obscured the message, and she could only read it after paying a fee. The message complimented her beauty. Emma visited his profile and discovered that he was an Italian electrician, 34 years old, living in the West Midlands of England, just 100 miles from her home in London. Over time, they started getting to know each other better through the app. To impress her, Ronaldo sent a few messages in French, her native language. However, when Emma replied in Italian, Ronaldo seemed not to understand, which surprised her, though she didn’t dwell on it.
As their relationship developed, they transitioned from the app to WhatsApp, exchanging daily texts. Emma often wondered how such a handsome man like Ronaldo could be interested in her. She frequently asked him to meet in person, but he always avoided the request with various excuses, which began to seem suspicious.
One day, while at work, Emma shared her doubts with a friend, who suggested that if he was unwilling to meet, he might not be the person in the photos. Her suspicion grew, and even her family advised her to stop communicating with him. In her quest for truth, Emma used a reverse image search app, which yielded shocking results: the person in the photos was a Turkish model and actor named Adam Gozel. Confronting Ronaldo, she uncovered the truth: he was actually Alan Stanley, a 53-year-old Englishman, bald and short, who worked in retail. Alan had created the fake profile using a model’s image found on Google as a way to protect himself from rejection. Emma was the first person he found through the app that he liked, leading him to reach out to her.
Stunned and deceived, Emma decided to protect others from falling into the same trap. She messaged the Turkish model Adam via Facebook, saying: “Hi Adam, we don’t know each other, but a year ago, I met a man online who was using your photo and pretending to be you under a different name. I wasn’t sure if contacting you was a good idea, but I felt I needed to let you know. Best regards, Emma.”
Adam, then 35, almost ignored the message, considering he received hundreds daily. However, something compelled him to respond. Emma shared her entire story, which greatly angered Adam. They began video chatting frequently to get to know each other better. Eventually, Emma invited Adam to visit London, and to her surprise, he agreed immediately.
Emma didn’t stop there. She sent a message to Alan Stanley, the imposter, saying: “Alan, I wanted to let you know that I’ll be with Adam at the airport tomorrow. I still don’t know if this is good or bad for me, but I’m about to meet my Ronaldo that you created. I’m not sure whether to thank you or hate you for this, but it’s happening now regardless.”
Adam arrived in London, and Emma greeted him at the airport. Without even realizing it, she kissed him. Adam felt an immediate chemistry between them, as if they had known each other for a long time. Emma hosted him and they went on a sightseeing tour of London. Their friendship blossomed into a romantic relationship, resembling a fairy-tale romance that spread everywhere. Today, they are happily married in London, and it all began with a deception and a case of mistaken identity involving another man.
