Two fraudsters have been sentenced after cruelly deceiving two women and scamming them out of over £200,000.
Harrison Ojobor, 44, and his accomplice Khalid Rajah, 73, have now been sentenced after a complex investigation into a crime known as romance fraud by the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU). Nearly £92m was lost by victims across the UK in 2021 at the hands of con artists who strike up relationships with people just to scam money from them.
This duo were found to be operating across the country in 2017 and were targeting vulnerable women who believed they were making real connections with the con artists. Two victims, one from Durham and one from Scotland, were contacted separately on Facebook in 2017 by a person named 'Scott'.
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Scott portrayed to be a lonely widower from America, working offshore in Scotland who was looking to find love again. The women accepted his friend request and following a considerable amount of time and numerous messages exchanged, Scott convinced them that they were in a relationship and had a future together.
Having gained their trust, Scott would then start to ask for money to help with various financial situations. The women, who were repeatedly exploited and coercively manipulated by the fraudsters, agreed to help the man they thought was their trusted partner in the belief that she would be repaid the money.
'Scott' put the victims in touch with his diplomatic representative – who turned out to be Ojobor carrying out a cruel scam. In total, the victims lost over £200,000 to this criminal gang before realising they were victims and reporting it to police and Action Fraud.
Officers from the NEROCU launched an investigation and following months of complex enquiries, they identified a number of suspects. Key fraudster Ojobor, of High Street, Wrestlingworth, Bedfordshire, and his accomplice Rajah, of Westridge Road, Birmingham, were subsequently arrested and charged on suspicion of conspiracy to commit fraud.
On Monday, they appeared before Newcastle Crown Court for sentencing after both previously pleading guilty to the charges. Ojobor was sentenced to five years and ten months behind bars while Rajah was given a 24 month sentence suspended for two years.
Following the sentence, Detective Constable Ray Stephenson, from NEROCU's High Harm Investigation Team, said: "This has been a great result against the main perpetrator, from a very long and complex investigation targeting individuals from outside our region.
"These men thought they could prey on vulnerable and kind women who they hoped would be too scared or embarrassed to report it – but they were wrong. The victims have been incredibly brave throughout the investigation, and I want to thank them for speaking up – by reporting what happened to them they can help prevent it happening to others.
"These types of criminals are incredibly manipulative and sophisticated in how they operate. They use fake names and create false identities to prey on vulnerable people looking for friendships or romantic partners.
"Remember to never give out money to people you've met online and if you think you have been a victim of romance fraud, do not feel ashamed or embarrassed - you are not alone."
NEROCU Detective Inspector Shaun Fordy added: "Under Operation Sentinel, we will continue to identify criminals such as these, we will robustly pursue them, and we will bring them before the courts."
If you fear you have been victim of a scam or fraud, contact your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.
For more advice on how to stay safe from fraudsters visit the Action Fraud site here.
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