‘Romance scammers’ trick Missouri woman out of $1.2 million, officials say
Three men have been sentenced to prison after officials say they scammed a woman out of $1.2 million by making her think she was in an online relationship with a Missouri veterinarian.
Authorities said the men targeted the woman on an online dating site called “Silver Singles.” That’s when a Texas man and his partners, also in Texas, “began an online relationship with her,” according to a Dec. 19 news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Missouri.
“They made plans to meet with her but never followed through, once leaving her waiting at the Missouri Botanical Garden,” officials said.
In October 2019, a man who lied about the veterinarian going to Dubai said he “wouldn’t be allowed to leave unless she sent money,” according to officials.
After that, the men made “request after request” from the woman, at some points asking for thousands of dollars, officials said.
The woman would send cash and cashier’s checks via FedEx, officials said. In total, she lost nearly $1.17 million.
One of the men received 20% of the money, authorities said, and two other men, who served as “money mules,” got 20% of the money they forwarded. The rest went to scammers in Nigeria, according to officials.
The first man’s attorney told McClatchy News he “has made significant changes in his life since the time of the offense. He is remorseful for his involvement in the conspiracy. He plans to make restitution in the future.”
An attorney for a man accused of forwarding money said, “The Government overreached in its prosecution of (my client), as evidenced by the dismissal of four of the five charges it brought against (him), as well as obtaining a much lower sentence and restitution than it sought. (He) was unaware of any “romance scam,” did not receive the funds from the victim, and did not forward the funds to anyone.
“In fact, he had already moved from the residence in Richardson, Texas, when someone sent money there,” the attorney continued. “The Government’s self-serving press release is misleading in suggesting otherwise and goes well beyond the stipulated facts in the plea agreement and the evidence at (his) sentencing hearing.”
A defense attorney for one of the men was not listed in court records as of Dec. 19.
Two of the three men pleaded guilty to mail fraud and wire fraud charges. One was sentenced to three years in prison, one was sentenced to one year and three months in prison and one was sentenced to four years in prison, according to officials.
This story was originally published December 21, 2023 at 7:05 AM with the headline "‘Romance scammers’ trick Missouri woman out of $1.2 million, officials say."
