We know the quarantine caused a lot of people to become lonely, but this was an opportune time for scammers to take advantage.
In a recent arrest by the FBI, nearly 35 Nigerians have been charged for defrauding victims out of at least $17 million. The victims were mainly elderly, and they used either romance scams, investment fraud, and business email compromises to get money out of their victims.
Federal grand juries indicted a total of 34 Nigerians in Texas’s Northern and Eastern districts. The suspects range from 23 to 53 years old and include females as well. Eleven suspects were indicted by the Northern District, while the Eastern District indicted the remaining individuals.
Some of the sites they were using include Match.com, ChistianMingle, JSwipe, and PlentyofFish, using fake identities. They would use fake profiles to gain the victims’ trust and then lied using various reasons for needing money.
All 11 suspects were arrested during a large-scale operation last Wednesday. They have been charged with multiple financial crimes, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. Multiple suspects also have alleged ties to a transnational organized crime syndicate in Nigeria.
“Crimes like these are especially despicable because they rely not only on victims’ lack of internet savvy, but also, their isolation, their loneliness, and sometimes their grief. As the victims open their hearts, the perpetrators open their wallets,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Prerak Shahs. “The only mistake these victims make is being generous to the wrong people.”
All 11 suspects were arrested late Wednesday. Some of them have alleged ties to international criminal organizations. The FBI estimates that more than 20,000 people lost more than $600 million in romance scams last year just to put things into perspective.
With that being said, the Nigerians argue that no one forced the women to hand over their money, so they didn’t do anything criminal.
Flip the pages for more of the Nigerian scammers.