A Nigerian man has become the sixth person arrested over a “romance fraud” scheme targeting lonely people.

The man was identified by police during further investigations into the defrauding of an elderly woman in Malta. The previous five arrests – four Nigerian men and a Maltese woman – came after the group posed as an American soldier and started a virtual relationship with the elderly woman.

Posing as the soldier, they promised to come to Malta when their tour of Afghanistan ended to be with the woman. She then sent them thousands of euro to cover their expenses, money that was later withdrawn and laundered, according to police.

The sixth individual will be charged in court later today, at 1.30pm, over his involvement in the scam.

What do you make of this arrest?