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Five individuals have been imprisoned for their involvement in a romance fraud scheme that resulted in more than £2m being stolen in a money laundering plot. According to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), there were a total of 99 suspected victims of fraud, with 40 confirmed individuals falling prey between 2017 and 2024. Fawaz Ali, 27, Ebenezer Tackie, 42, Michael Quartey, 28, Kwabena Edusei, 37, and George Melseaux, 40, were found guilty of money laundering offenses and received varying prison sentences at Guildford Crown Court.
In a statement, one victim shared, “I lost my home as I could not keep up with the cost of rising bills. I feel so embarrassed and ashamed that I was scammed so I have not told anyone about this and have lied to my family and friends. I am very wary when any man tries to get close to me as I always wonder if he will try and scam me.” Another victim expressed the devastating impact of the scam, stating, “It’s ruined me as a person, it took years for me to start to trust anyone again. How can people live with themselves after the hurt they create and the long-lasting damage they leave behind?”
According to reports from the CPS, victims were manipulated into transferring money to cover fake expenses, such as fines in remote locations or urgent travel costs. The perpetrators used flirtatious language to deceive individuals into believing they were entering a genuine loving relationship. The majority of the transactions occurred in the UK, although some victims were identified in Europe, the USA, and Australia. Jane Mitchell, a specialist CPS prosecutor, condemned the criminals for exploiting individuals met on online dating platforms solely for their monetary gain, utilizing grooming tactics that resulted in significant emotional distress for the victims
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