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Another UK-Based Match.com Scammer Jailed For £500,000 Fraud

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Another Match.com scammer operating in the UK has been jailed for four years, after scamming two women out of almost £500,000.

The 27-year-old fraudster, Tosin Femi Olasemo, pretended to be a US Army officer in Afghanistan, creating a number of fake profiles to defraud the women.

Based in Cardiff, the man told his victims he was Captain Morgan Travis, and was stationed at Camp Joyce in Afghanistan.

After building a relationship, using Match.com and Yahoo Messenger, he proceeded to ask for money to get leave to visit his victims.

He told the women that because of security issues in Camp Joyce, they were not allowed to use video chat.

He even pretended to be a colleague of Travis, who contacted the women saying if they didn’t send more money, their “love interest” would be locked up for over a year, on suspicion of money laundering.

One anonymous woman from Denmark sent Olasemo £211,980, but was stopped by Danish police before sending another £190,000.

The total amount Olasemo received from his cruel scam was over £440,000.

When he was arrested in Cardiff, police found false US Army ID cards, Nigerian passports and driving licences.

He pleaded guilty to 12 charges that included fraud and possessing false ID documents.

The 27-year-old fraudster will spend four and a half years in prison, after which he will be deported.

Detective Sergeant Jamie Holcombe from South Wales Police, said: “This case is an example of how an individual can sit in front of a computer and destroy another person’s life.

“Olasemo took advantage of his victims’ vulnerabilities and showed no compassion for their significant losses.

“As always, we would encourage those using dating sites or other internet forums to be vigilant. Please do not send money or provide personal details to strangers.”

Simon Edmunds

Simon is the former editor of Global Dating Insights. Born in Newcastle, he has an English degree from Queen Mary, London and after working for the NHS, trained as a journalist with the Press Association. Passionate about music, journalism and Newcastle United.

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