Nigerian Man Arrested in Canada for Romance Scam That Stole Over $600,000
A Nigerian man named Chimezie Nwabueze, who lives in Toronto, Canada, has been arrested by Canadian police for tricking people through an online romance scam. He reportedly stole more than $600,000 from two victims.
The arrest was made by the Peel Regional Police Fraud Bureau, a special group that investigates money scams. They believe Chimezie may not be working alone. He could be part of a bigger criminal group that uses online dating sites to fool and steal from people, especially older adults.
What Happened?
Police say the scam took place between June 2021 and July 2023. During that time, Chimezie met two people on a dating website. He made them believe they were in a romantic relationship with him.
To gain their trust, he told them a fake story. He claimed that he owned an oil rig in the Middle East and was in urgent need of money. He promised to pay them back soon and said they would meet in person. But the victims never met him. They only talked online.
In the end, both people lost a total of $610,382. When they started asking questions and wanted their money back, Chimezie stopped talking to them completely. They never got their money back.
Charges Against Chimezie
Chimezie Nwabueze is 28 years old. After a long investigation, the police arrested him and charged him with several serious crimes. These include:
- Two counts of fraud over $5,000
- Two counts of owning stolen property
- Using fake documents
- Money laundering (hiding where the stolen money came from)
- Being part of a criminal organization
- Telling others to commit crimes for a criminal group
Even though these charges are very serious, Chimezie has been released temporarily and is expected to appear in court in Brampton, Ontario at a later date.
This Is Not His First Crime
This is not the first time Chimezie has been in trouble for the same kind of scam. Police say he was arrested in November 2023 for another romance scam. In that case, he tricked someone out of over $250,000. That case is still going through the court system.
According to the police, Chimezie used the exact same trick in both scams.
Police Believe There May Be More Victims
The police now believe that Chimezie is part of a larger criminal group. This group targets older people on dating websites. They look for people who are lonely or trusting and then scam them for money.
The Peel Regional Police are asking anyone who may have been scammed or knows something about this case to come forward. They can call the Fraud Bureau, contact Peel Crime Stoppers, or visit the official website to leave an anonymous tip.
