A serial romance fraudster who defrauded his victims out of £20,000 splashed their hard-earned cash at a Glasgow shopping centre.
Osagie Aigbonohan, who targeted more than 670 people in his money-making scheme, enjoyed regular visits to Silverburn during February and September, 2020.
The 41-year-old, who used the name Tony Eden on dating sites, has now been jailed for 28 months following an in-depth National Crime Agency investigation.
When arrested in July 2021 he was found carrying a fake driver’s licence and was in the UK illegally after overstaying his visa from two years ago.
The con-artist was found to have struck up a 10-month relationship with one victim and persuaded her to lend him money to hire drilling equipment overseas.
He invented a story claiming to be broke after paying for the funerals of a number of people who had died in a machinery accident.
The victim made nine transfers, totalling £9,500, into various bank accounts held under fake identities, with the money eventually making its way into his personal account.
Data from Aigbonohan’s phone showed he also received money from at least eight other victims and had been in contact with over 670 people in total.
One of the women targeted was terminally ill, with Aigbonohan continuing to pursue her even after she had passed away.
Appearing at Southwark Crown Court last week, he was jailed after pleading guilty to charges relating to fraud and money laundering.
Dominic Mugan, NCA Operations Manager, Complex Finance Team said: “Aigbonohan had no regard for these women.
“He went to great lengths to gain their trust, fabricating stories to exploit them out of thousands.
“This is a typical pattern of romance fraudsters; they work to build rapport before making such requests.
“Romance fraud is a crime that affects victims emotionally and financially, and in some cases impacts their families.
“We want to encourage all those who think they’ve been a victim of romance fraud to not feel embarrassed or ashamed but rather report it.”
James Lewis of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Romance fraud is a particularly callous offence, involving exploitation of an individual’s emotional needs and caring qualities, to extract money from them.
“People should be particularly vigilant over the coming month as we head towards Valentine’s Day and more people seek a partner.
“Aigbonohan demonstrated a cynical disregard for his victims, grooming them with romantic promises before dishonestly persuading them to provide him with financial assistance.
“Thanks to the extensive and thorough investigatory work of the National Crime Agency and the support of the individual victims, the CPS has brought an end to Aigbonohan’s fraudulent activities.
“Hopefully, this case will serve to act as a deterrent to other romance fraudsters who prey on victims in the same way.”
The NCA advises anyone using dating websites to avoid giving away too many personal details when speaking online to someone you’ve never met in person, as it can lead to your identity being stolen.
You should stay on the site’s messaging service until you meet in person; don’t be tempted to switch to other platforms that offer less protection.
And most importantly, no matter how long you’ve been speaking to someone online and how much you trust them, if you haven’t met them in person do not send them any money.
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