A
31-year-old internet fraudster, Adio Opeyemi Michael, has been arrested by the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for defrauding a 72-year-old
Dutch woman of €200,000 (about N40.6 million) in a romance scam.
The suspect,
who is a native of Owu Local Government Area of Ogun State, was said to have
met his victim, identified simply as Jeanet De Jonge, on Netlog dating site and
pretended to be a 41-year-old American citizen working as a chef in a Nigerian
restaurant and needs a wife.
"For swindling a 75 year old woman of
200,000 Euros in a romance scam, a 31-year-old confidence trickster, Adio
Opeyemi Michael, an indigene of Owu LGA
of Ogun state, has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission EFCC. The victim, a certain Jeanet De Jonge, is a Dutch
national."
Adio allegedly met the victim on the ‘Net
log’ dating site and pretended to be a 41-year-old American citizen, working as
a chef in a Nigerian restaurant and needs a wife. The profile attracted Jeanet
and, in no time, began sending him money through Western Union and Money Gram.
"She was sending me money monthly,
ranging from $800 to $900 from June 2012, through Western Union Money transfer
and Money Gram to the extent that Western Union blocked her from sending money
to me in Nigeria. So she requested that
I should go to London to enable her send me money there.
I contacted a friend
of mine in London called Osas Odiah, so that he can receive the money and send
to me here in Nigeria. She first sent €2000 to my friend’s account in London,
and later to my Keystone bank account, which was actually a Forex Trade
account.
We started using this account when we discovered that my friend was
not remitting all the money sent by Jeanet to me,” the suspect revealed.
Investigations further revealed that the
suspect collected the various sums under the pretext that he was going to use
the money to perfect his travel plans and obtain the required documents that
would enable him travel to Holland to join or visit Jeanet.
But his inability
or refusal to honour the invitation from Jeanet prompted the petition to EFCC.
The suspect will be arraigned in court as
soon as investigation is concluded.
Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
4th September, 2014
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