The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Thursday, handed over a three-bedroom semi-detached duplex in Edo State, South-south Nigeria, to an American named Cheryldene Cook, who was scammed by a Nigerian, Aisosa Ohue.
The property was recovered from Mr Ohue, otherwise known as Frederick Leonard, who has been convicted of Internet fraud by a Nigerian court, according to a statement on Friday from the commission.
The convict had collected N104 million in 2021 from the American woman in a love scam while posing as a famous Nigerian actor, Frederick Leonard.
He had lied to her that he was in love with her and was going to marry her, according to the EFCC.
Apart from the house, which is at Ward 36A Amagba Community in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo, the EFCC also handed over N19 million, a Lexus E350 saloon car, an iPhone 13 Pro Max and a Samsung A31 phone to the American at the EFCC zonal office in Abuja.
The EFCC Zonal Commander, Adebayo Adeniyi and the Head, Advanced Fee Fraud Section 1, Jimoh Rauf did the presentation on behalf of the commission to Ms Cook, who flew in from the US to receive the items.
Ms Cook, accompanied by her lawyer, Mike Nwosu, thanked the commission for the recovery, according to the EFCC statement.
Justice C.E Nwecheonwu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Kuje, had in January ordered the forfeiture of the house, money, and the other items after Mr Orhue was convicted of obtaining money by false pretence.
The EFCC has been clamping down on Nigerian fraudsters who amassed illegal fortunes by defrauding women, mostly foreign nationals, who seek love via the internet.
The commission in June arrested a young Nigerian man, Ifechukwu Makwe, in Abuja, for allegedly scamming a Spaniard woman of €5.7million after meeting on social media in 2013.
Mr Makwe made his victim believe he was a US Federal Bureau of Investigation agent.
How to avoid being scammed
“Scammers will express intense emotions for you in a short period of time and will advise that you take the connection away from the internet and onto a more private channel, such as phone, email, or instant messaging. They frequently claim to be Australians or residents of another western country but are actually travelling or working in another country,” a Nigerian law firm, Olisa Ogbakoba Legal said on its website where it provides advice on how to avoid being scammed and what steps to take if you are a victim.
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“Scammers will go to great lengths to pique your interest and earn your trust, including showering you with love words, providing ‘personal information,’ and even giving you gifts. They may spend months cultivating what appears to be a lifetime romance and may even pre-book airfare to visit you but never arrive.”
The law firm advises internet users to “conduct an online search to verify the person’s identity, including their name, photo, location, email address, and other facts” when meeting people via dating sites or social media.
“Never give money to an internet love interest through wire transfer, gift card, or cash reload card. You’re not going to get it back,” it says.
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