St Paul’s Bay Man Arrested Over Romance Fraud Scheme Targeting The Elderly
A man who lives in St Paul’s Bay is the latest person to be arrested in relation to a romance fraud scheme that’s been going on in Malta for years.
The man, a 40-year-old from Nigeria, fled Malta – but was found in recent weeks in the UK after authorities identified him after an international arrest warrant that had been issued by the Maltese Police Force.
The man was brought back to Malta in recent hours and is expected to be charged in court today at around 11.15am in front of Magistrate Rachel Montebello. He stands accused of money laundering, receiving stolen goods and other crimes.
An ongoing investigation saw no less than six people arrested in connection with the romance fraud scheme last year.
Investigations by the Paola District Police alongside the Anti-Money Laundering Squad and Financial Crimes Unit found that a number of people were targeting elderly and vulnerable people across Malta with the aim of soliciting large amounts of money from them.
Last year, the initial arrests of four Nigerian men and a Maltese woman came after the group posed as an American soldier and started a virtual relationship with an 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 She then sent them thousands of euro to cover their expenses, money that was later withdrawn and laundered, according to police.
Have you ever experience romance fraud in Malta?
READ NEXT: Paula Abdul ‘Feels So Much Younger’ After Getting The Henry Galea Makeover Treatment
