BEVERLY HILLS, November 08, (THEWILL) – A Court in Georgia, United States has sentenced a Nigerian, Olu Victor Alonge to 10-years imprisonment for a wire fraud scheme.
According to a statement by the Department of Justice, Alonge was sentenced on October 30, 2019, and ordered to pay $1,835,279.00 in victim restitution.
The statement reads in part: “Olu Victor Alonge has been sentenced for his role in a multi-year wire fraud scheme that targeted users of American dating websites and caused a total loss of $1,835,279. Six other Nigerian nationals have been charged as part of the conspiracy; three have pled guilty, and Alonge is the first to be sentenced.
“The conspirators in these cases, including some who were overseas, used fake personas on online dating websites to trick individuals, including elderly retirees, into giving them large amounts of money,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak.
“The conspirators would spend weeks cultivating online relationships with their victims before defrauding them of hundreds of thousands of dollars, often taken from their retirement savings or inheritances. The judge rightly called the romance fraud scheme ‘pure evil’ before handing down the defendant’s sentence.
“Combating this type of transnational fraud targeting elderly Americans is a top priority of my office and the Department of Justice; would-be cybercriminals should think twice before engaging in such vile conduct.”
