A 41-year-old man has been ordered to return the money he obtained from a woman he tricked into thinking she had a relationship with him as a US soldier, even though he is from Nigeria.

Johnson Anene was extradited from the UK to Malta to face fraud and money laundering charges. Anene, who lives in St Paul’s Bay, is believed to have led a ring of individuals who would make victims believe they were in a romantic relationship with a soldier fighting in Afghanistan.

The relationship would be fostered online. 

Posing as the soldier, the scammers would promise 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 She then sent them thousands of euro to cover their expenses, money that was later withdrawn and laundered, according to police.

This specific case goes back to 11th August, 2020, when Anene and his accomplices worked to gain the woman’s trust. Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech said the man had worked to exploit the victim’s generosity, and ordered him to return €3,500 to the victim by the end of the year.

He was also sentenced to two years in prison suspended for four years and ordered to pay €1,858 in court expenses alongside a freezing order on his moveable and immovable assets.