UK Wedding News
09/09/2014
Two men have been found guilty for the roles they played in a dating website scam.
The men were found guilty following a three-week trial.
They had planned to con 12 women out of almost £250,000 via dating website, match.com.
The men, 28-year-old Monty Emu, with an address in Southsea, and Adewunmi Nusi, 26, for Hermitage, Berks, were found guilty of money laundering. Emmanuel Oko, 29, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud and money laundering, and Chukwuka Ugwu, 28, of Southsea, also pleaded guilty to money laundering on the first day of the trial.
During the three-week trial, the jury at Winchester Crown Court heard how fake profiles were created on the dating website.
The fictional 'James Richards' would talk to women via the website, and tell them he needed funds to release a £100m inheritance in India. The women they targeted were initially sent messages which told of his love for them. One such message is understood to have said: "I knew our friendship would grow from the first day we spoke but neither one of us could imagine the love exploding, no thundering into our hearts."
As the relationships developed, the unsuspecting women were then asked for money. They were first asked for a £700 legal fee – by a fake solicitor – before the amount of money being requested rose up to £100,000.
One victim handed over a total of £174,000 to the men.
It was only when one victim received the same email twice, that the scam was discovered.
Detective Constable Darrin Carey, Hampshire Constabulary, said: "This case centres around a web of lies constructed by a devious group of people with the sole intention of exploiting emotionally vulnerable women for financial gain.
"The women were duped into thinking that they were talking to a man who was genuinely looking for love on the dating website Match.com. Unfortunately for them, they were part of an elaborate scam."
A spokesperson for match.com said: "Unfortunately, there is a tiny minority of people out there who want to exploit others over the internet. We advise people to use the same common sense as they would if they were meeting someone in a bar or a pub.
"We give lots of safe-dating advice on our site and in emails to members. This makes it clear that you should never send money to anyone you meet online. We invest heavily in the latest technology alongside a dedicated team of people and work closely with the authorities to make dating as safe as we can."
The four men are due to be sentenced next month and it is understood the Crown Prosecution Service will apply for the "ill-gotten" money to be confiscated.
A further two people, Brooke Boston, 28, was cleared of conspiracy to defraud and money laundering in the trial, while Eberechi Ekpo, 26, was acquitted under directions of the judge last month.
(JP/IT)
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Two Found Guilty Over Dating Scam
Two men have been found guilty for the roles they played in a dating website scam.
The men were found guilty following a three-week trial.
They had planned to con 12 women out of almost £250,000 via dating website, match.com.
The men, 28-year-old Monty Emu, with an address in Southsea, and Adewunmi Nusi, 26, for Hermitage, Berks, were found guilty of money laundering. Emmanuel Oko, 29, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud and money laundering, and Chukwuka Ugwu, 28, of Southsea, also pleaded guilty to money laundering on the first day of the trial.
During the three-week trial, the jury at Winchester Crown Court heard how fake profiles were created on the dating website.
The fictional 'James Richards' would talk to women via the website, and tell them he needed funds to release a £100m inheritance in India. The women they targeted were initially sent messages which told of his love for them. One such message is understood to have said: "I knew our friendship would grow from the first day we spoke but neither one of us could imagine the love exploding, no thundering into our hearts."
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As the relationships developed, the unsuspecting women were then asked for money. They were first asked for a £700 legal fee – by a fake solicitor – before the amount of money being requested rose up to £100,000.
One victim handed over a total of £174,000 to the men.
It was only when one victim received the same email twice, that the scam was discovered.
Detective Constable Darrin Carey, Hampshire Constabulary, said: "This case centres around a web of lies constructed by a devious group of people with the sole intention of exploiting emotionally vulnerable women for financial gain.
"The women were duped into thinking that they were talking to a man who was genuinely looking for love on the dating website Match.com. Unfortunately for them, they were part of an elaborate scam."
A spokesperson for match.com said: "Unfortunately, there is a tiny minority of people out there who want to exploit others over the internet. We advise people to use the same common sense as they would if they were meeting someone in a bar or a pub.
"We give lots of safe-dating advice on our site and in emails to members. This makes it clear that you should never send money to anyone you meet online. We invest heavily in the latest technology alongside a dedicated team of people and work closely with the authorities to make dating as safe as we can."
The four men are due to be sentenced next month and it is understood the Crown Prosecution Service will apply for the "ill-gotten" money to be confiscated.
A further two people, Brooke Boston, 28, was cleared of conspiracy to defraud and money laundering in the trial, while Eberechi Ekpo, 26, was acquitted under directions of the judge last month.
(JP/IT)
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