Former Premier League star reveals he was scammed out of over £500,000 by friend dubbed France’s Queen of Fraud
A FORMER Premier League star has revealed he was scammed out of more than £500,000 by the woman dubbed France’s Queen of Fraud.
Aurelie Bard, 39, received a two-year suspended jail term in 2023 after being found guilty of stealing £635,000 from French firm Inseec six years ago.
And the accountant is currently on trial for her alleged part in defrauding £84MILLION from fashion company Kiabi.
She got to know the footballer when he played for her hometown club in France.
The brunette later made multiple trips to England to visit him.
However, the player told French media that she forged over 140 cheques from his private bank account – paying herself around 700,000 Euros (£585,000).
Speaking anonymously, he told Le Parisien: “I was Aurelie’s first victim.”
The player’s lawyer added: “She wrote cheques from one of his private accounts, and cashed them herself.
“She bought herself presents with the money, such as a luxury watch, in order to seduce him and convince him she came from a wealthy family.
“Aurelie B recognised what she had done in a written letter of confession.
“Thanks to this we were later to recoup the funds by making my client’s bank face up to its responsibilities.”
The player said he ended his acquaintance with Bard on learning of her deception but declined to press charges.
He later had most of his losses refunded after proving his bank acted negligently in honouring cheques signed by Aurelie.
The Kiabi fraud trial continues.
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