Woman scammed out of $130,000 by fake Bruno Mars

A man has allegedly scammed a Texan woman out of $100,000 ($AUD 130,000) by posing as singer Bruno Mars and claiming he needed help with touring expenses.

The woman, 63, was convinced she was dating the 11-time Grammy-winning artist after she was seduced by a man pretending to be him on Instagram.

Chinwendu Azuonwu is accused of pretending to be Mars after connecting with the woman between September and October 2018.

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The woman told police she had created a social media profile in search of companionship, when she was contacted by the man she says claimed to be Mars.

Prosecutors said the woman received several texts and photos of the 'Uptown Funk' singer while he was on tour, with court documents revealing she fell in love with the person she believed to be Mars.

The man allegedly promised he would quit his current tour to be with her, according to court documents.

It was during the pair's virtual relationship that the man began requesting funds to pay for various "tour expenses".

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The woman was first asked for a $10,000 ($AUD 13,000) cheque for a "friend of the band".

Two days later, the man allegedly asked her for $90,000 ($AUD 116,700).

Both sums were deposited into two separate accounts held by Azuonwu and an alleged accomplice.

Azuonwu was charged with third-degree felony money laundering this week, and remains in custody with bail set at $30,000 ($AUD 39,000).

A court hearing will occur in Harris County on Tuesday.

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