INTERNET DATING FRAUD!
Nigerian Man, MOSES IGWENEME Swindled a Switzerland woman of over $240,000 in Romance Scam…EFCC cracks Father-daughter syndicate, declares fugitive Co-conspirator, Nkiruka Blessing wanted
* Promised Fake Marriage to Chantal Helene Meadery, Deceived victim into making a total of 16 different money transfers with a promise to relocate to Switzerland
*Arraigned at Federal High Court in Port Harcourt
* ‘Investigations showed that the syndicate has also defrauded other foreigners through their fraudulent dating schemes’- EFCC spokesman, Tony Orilade
BY HELEN OYEBADE/CRIME CORRESPONDENT, ABUJA
HE’S A NIGERIAN CRIMINAL WHO PREYS ON VULNERABLE WOMEN DESPERATE TO SETTLE DOWN FOR MARRIAGE. MOSES IGWENEME AND DAUGHTER, NKIRUKA BLESSING LIVE ON CRIMES plying various dating sites in search of ladies. At the last count, the duo has stolen $240,700 from Chantal Helene Meadery, a Switzerland woman who felt betrayed having emptied her bank accounts and paid several sums of funds to the fraudsters.
Moses appeared in court in Nigeria for defrauding the Switzerland national of US$240,700 through an online scam perpetrated with his daughter, Nkiruka Blessing Igweneme, now at large. Authorities in Nigeria arraigned Moses before the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt in the southern Rivers State for the case of fraud against Meadery.
Nigeria’s leading anti-fraud agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) busted the father-daughter syndicate during a crackdown exercise on internet fraud in the country. It is alleged that the Igwenemes defrauded Meadery following an encounter on a dating app. There was an arrangement of marriage that would have seen Moses move permanently to Switzerland.
According to the complainant, Naija Standard Newspaper gathered that the father and daughter feigned several different emergency situations and various other problems that ensnared Meadery into making a total of 16 different money transfers since last year. She sought the intervention of the Switzerland government, which petitioned Nigerian authorities to investigate. “Investigations showed that the syndicate has also defrauded other foreigners through their fraudulent dating schemes,” EFCC spokesman, Tony Orilade, said.
The suspect has pleaded not guilty to a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy and money laundering.He has been remanded in custody pending bail application while his daughter has been declared wanted. Nigeria has a global reputation for online scams perpetrated by the so-called Yahoo boys.