A 21-year old Nigerian graduate Cynthia Atuonah has been arrested by the Police Special Fraud Unit, PSFU in Lagos for duping her German ‘lover’ of $2 million.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, the lady, a graduate of Economics from one of the nation’s universities presented to be in a romantic relationship with the foreigner who was deceived to lodge the sum in her account.
The sum is more than N1 billion at the current exchange rate of the dollar to naira.
Speaking on scam on Wednesday, Eyitayo Johnson, spokesperson of the PSFU, Atuanah lured the victim on Instagram after claiming to be a model and owner of The-Chi-Place’’.
Johnson said “The suspect, a 2019 graduate of Economics, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, lured the 50-year-old victim on Instagram by feigning romantic intentions toward him, thereby gaining the victim’s trust and goodwill.
“She promised to marry the victim; invited him to Nigeria for visits on several occasions and convinced him to emigrate to Nigeria so they could live together as husband and wife.
“In a ploy to dispel suspicion, the victim was made to meet with Atuonah’s parents at Ikot-Abasi, Akwa Ibom, where he received their blessings to marry the suspect.
“The suspect persuaded the victim to return to Germany to sell his house in Stuttgart and forward the proceeds of sale together with his pensions and life savings to her domiciliary account at Fidelity Bank plc.
“The purpose of the money was to buy a house in Nigeria where they will both live as husband and wife as well as to establish a joint business outfit as indicated in the bank transfer narration.”
During investigation conducted by the police it was discovered that the suspect used part of the proceed of the scam to acquire choice property in Lekki, a high brow area in Lagos, she also spent part of it to take care of the hospital bill of his sick father as well as supporting her mother’s business.
Operatives of PSFU said they are still investigating whether she used the proceeds of the crime to acquire other things.
