Canadian police apprehend Chimezie Nwabueze for allegedly defrauding victims of over $600,000 through a romance scam involving a fictitious “Oil Rig” investment

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Peel Regional Police have announced the arrest and arraignment of Chimezie Nwabueze, a 28-year-old Nigerian man from Toronto, in connection with a significant romance scam totaling over $600,000.

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Nwabueze was apprehended on April 28, 2025, and faces multiple charges including fraud over $5000 (two counts), possession of property obtained by crime (two counts), uttering forged documents, laundering proceeds of crime, participating in activities of a criminal organization, and instructing the commission of an offense for a criminal organization.

According to the police statement, between June 2021 and July 2023, Nwabueze allegedly engaged two victims through an online dating platform.

He falsely claimed ownership of an “Oil Rig” in the Middle East and convinced them to send him money under the pretense of urgent need, promising repayment and a future meeting.

Fraud investigators believe that there are potentially more victims, and Nwabueze is part of a larger criminal network that is targeting older adult dating websites to exploit its trusting or vulnerable clientele to commit fraud,” stated the Peel Regional Police.

The victims, who only communicated with Nwabueze electronically, suffered a total financial loss of $610,382 after he ceased all contact following their confrontation.

Nwabueze was arraigned before a Justice Court in Brampton and subsequently released on an undertaking. He is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton at a later date.

Notably, the Peel Regional Police highlighted that Nwabueze had been previously arrested in November 2023 for a similar fraud involving over $250,000, which is currently before the courts.

Investigators believe this indicates a pattern of behavior and suspect that Nwabueze may be part of a larger criminal network targeting vulnerable individuals on older adult dating websites.

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The Peel Regional Police urge anyone who believes they may have been a victim of a similar scam to come forward and contact their local police service.