A man in the UK, accused of running “romance scams”, has been jailed after trying to defraud 670 people.
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According to the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA), Osagie Aigbonohan , originally from Nigeria, used a series of fake names, dating apps and social media accounts to contact people looking for a partner/relationship.
One of the 41-year-old fraudster's aliases was "Tony Eden." Introducing himself as Tony, Aigbonohan targeted a woman, formed a relationship with her, and after about 10 months begged her to give him money for an issue that had arisen with a job abroad.
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Aigbonohan managed to get 9,500 pounds ($13,000).
Another victim of Aigbonohan was a woman suffering from an incurable disease.
The NCA estimates that at least 670 people were targeted by the fraudster and at least eight people sent him money. The romance scams netted the fraudster around £20,000 ($27,200).
Following an NCA investigation, Aigbonohan was arrested last July and charged with fraud and money laundering. It was also discovered that Aigbonohan's visa had expired, that he was residing illegally in the UK and was using a fake driving licence.
Southwark Crown Court sentenced Aigbonohan to 28 months in prison.
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"Romance scams are a particularly harsh crime, which involves exploiting the emotional needs of victims in order to extract money," said James Lewis from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). "People should be particularly vigilant over the next month as we head towards Valentine's Day and more people are looking for a partner."
UK Finance estimates that between January and November 2021, UK residents lost £18.5 million ($25.2 million) to romance scams (a 12% increase on the previous year). In the same year, the FBI estimates that $133 million was fraudulently taken from victims in the United States.
Source: ZDNet
