A total of 33 Nigerians have been indicted by Federal grand juries in the Northern
and Eastern districts of Texas for defrauding elderly victims in romance schemes.
One of the Nigerians, 51-year-old Irabor Fatarr Musa was indicted by the two
districts.
According to acting U.S. Attorney Prerak Shah, 11 Nigerians were indicted by the
Department of Justice northern district, all arrested during a large-scale operation
last Wednesday morning.
They have been charged with a variety of financial crimes, including conspiracy to
commit wire fraud and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.
The majority of the defendants charged in this investigation have ties to a
transnational organized crime syndicate originating in Nigeria, law enforcement
revealed at the weekend.
According to court documents, the Nigerians preyed on elderly victims, many of
who were widowed or divorced?
They assumed fake names and trolled dating sites like Match.com, ChistianMingle,
JSwipe, and PlentyofFish, searching for targets.
Once they had ingratiated themselves with their victims, they allegedly concocted
sob-stories about why they needed money – i.e., taxes to release an inheritance,
essential overseas travel, crippling debt, etc.
They then siphoned money from victim’s accounts, tens of thousands of dollars at a
time.
“Crimes like these are especially despicable because they rely not only on victims’
lack of internet savvy, but also, their isolation, their loneliness, and sometimes their grief.
“As the victims open their hearts, the perpetrators open their wallets,” Acting U.S.
Attorney Prerak Shah said at a press conference announcing the charges.
“The only mistake these victims make is being generous to the wrong people.”
“The crimes allegedly committed by these defendants hit close to home. Your
neighbors, parents, friends, and family would be targets of this organization.
“The fraudsters intimidated and berated their victims, ruined their lives, really, and
then disappeared,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno.
