Two Nigerian men were convicted for a $560,000 romance scam, using a fake identity to dupe a victim into sending large sums of money.
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]wo Nigerian nationals, Olutayo Sunday Ogunlaja, 39, and Abel Adeyi Daramola, 37, have been convicted by a federal jury in the United States for orchestrating a romance scam that defrauded a victim of approximately $560,000.
The verdict, which follows a four-day trial and less than three hours of jury deliberation, could see the defendants face up to 20 years in prison.
Also read: FBI arrest of Nigerian council chairman sparks political turmoil in Anambra
The United States Attorney, Alexander Uballez, alongside Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, confirmed the conviction in a statement released on Monday. The case was investigated by the FBI and handled by the Department of Justice.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Ogunlaja and Daramola, in collaboration with accomplices, initiated the scam in January 2016.
They used the fabricated identity of “Glenn Brown” on the popular dating website eHarmony.com. The fraudulent profile was established to lure a victim into a romantic relationship, ultimately convincing them to send large sums of money under the false pretense that it was needed to help “Glenn Brown” complete a construction project in Malaysia and return safely to the United States.
The victim, based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, was persuaded to wire funds to multiple accounts in the United States, Canada, and Malaysia between January 2016 and April 2017.
The victim sent approximately $560,000 to the defendants, who instructed them to deposit cash into specific bank accounts, including a total of $28,000 into an account under Daramola’s name in September 2016.
Despite Daramola denying any involvement in the scheme, the FBI’s investigation revealed incriminating evidence.
Text and WhatsApp messages found on his phone confirmed his role in supplying bank accounts for the fraudulent transactions. Furthermore, Ogunlaja’s involvement was uncovered through his Bank of America account, where fraudulent funds were funneled.
In March 2016, the victim deposited $20,000 into Ogunlaja’s account, as instructed by the fake “Glenn Brown” persona.
Ogunlaja then made several cash withdrawals and transferred the funds to Daramola’s account. Both men are expected to face severe penalties for their roles in the operation, which misled the victim into sending vast sums of money under false pretenses.
This conviction adds to the increasing number of romance scams targeting individuals through online platforms. The scam, which preyed on the victim’s emotions and trust, highlights the dangers of fake identities used for financial exploitation.
The FBI continues to investigate similar cases and urges the public to remain vigilant when engaging in online relationships.
The United States has been cracking down on such frauds, with other high-profile cases resulting in significant prison sentences, including a similar case in which two Nigerians were sentenced to 30 years for defrauding US citizens of $3.5 million.
Source: Read more at thisdaylive.com
