$560K Romance Sc@m: Two Nigerian Men Face 20 Years in Prison After Conviction

Two Nigerian men, Olutayo Sunday Ogunlaja and Abel Adeyi Daramola, have been convicted for their involvement in a $560,000 international romance sc@m.

The conviction followed a four-day trial in which both men were found guilty of orchestrating the elaborate fraud, which targeted a victim in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The scam, which took place over a year, was based on a fabricated online persona created by the men.

The scheme began in 2016, when Ogunlaja and Daramola, in collaboration with an unnamed accomplice, set up a fake profile under the name “Glenn Brown” on the dating site eHarmony.

The victim was led to believe that “Brown” was an expatriate in Malaysia, seeking financial help for a construction project.

Over time, the victim sent large sums of money to various accounts across the U.S., Canada, and Malaysia, believing the funds were for a legitimate cause.

The victim’s emotional attachment to the fake persona led to multiple transfers of money, with the total amount reaching approximately $560,000 between January 2016 and April 2017.

One of the key transfers occurred on September 27, 2016, when the victim wired around $28,000 to a bank account linked to Daramola, under the name “Daramola Cars.”

The money was then channeled to various locations, including Denmark, where a seafood importer was involved, and a $14,000 check was issued.

Despite Daramola’s initial denial of involvement, the FBI investigation uncovered crucial evidence from his phone, including messages that linked him directly to the scam.

Ogunlaja’s involvement was also discovered, with the investigation revealing that he had used his Bank of America account to receive and transfer fraudulent funds, funneling them into Daramola’s account.

Both men now face up to 20 years in federal prison, with no possibility of parole. The sentencing has not yet been scheduled.

This conviction serves as a stark reminder of the growing threat posed by online romance scams, which often prey on vulnerable individuals seeking companionship.