Police have arrested 28-year-old Chimezie Nwabueze, a Nigerian living in Toronto, Canada, and charged her with a number of crimes related to allegedly scamming two victims out of almost $600,000 in an online romance scam.
The Peel Regional Police said in a statement posted on its website that between June 2021 and July 2023, two victims thought they were in a real romantic relationship with the suspect, whom they met on an online dating site. The suspect also falsely claimed to be the owner of a “Oil Rig” in the Middle East and to be in dire need of money, promising repayment and a meeting later.
“The victims never met him face-to-face; they only spoke to him online.” In part, the statement read.
After the victims confronted the suspect, he allegedly stopped communicating with them, and they never received compensation for the $610,382 in losses.
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On April 28, according to the police, Nwabueze was charged with one count each of uttering forged documents, laundering criminal proceeds, participating in criminal organization activities, and instructing criminal organization members to commit crimes. Additionally, he was charged with two counts each of fraud exceeding $5,000 and possessing property obtained through criminal means.
He was later released on an undertaking and is scheduled to appear in court in Ontario.
