Money launderers used romance fraud to scam 40 victims out of an estimated £3.25 million

Five money launderers have been convicted for exploiting victims through romance fraud for a loss of £3.25 million.

Fawaz Ali, 27, Ebenezer Tackie, 42, Michael Quartey, 28, were found guilty of money laundering related offences today at Guildford Crown Court after a trial.

Earlier Kwabena Edusei, 36, pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to defraud and money laundering, while George Melseaux, 40, pleaded guilty to charges of money laundering and possession of ID documents with intent to misuse for fraudulent purposes.

For the romance fraud, Edusei and others created fake profiles and fictional biographies on dating websites to trick their victims. The criminals used flirtatious language to manipulate people into thinking they were entering into a genuine loving and caring relationship. But this all was a build up to the fraudsters asking victims for money for fake reasons including loans to pay for business trips gone wrong, fines being incurred in remote locations and urgently needing money to pay these off, or a stolen wallet.

Victims transferred money to the bank accounts of the defendants or even sent cash in the post. This romance fraud was repeated many times until the victims had no money left or become suspicious and stopped making payments and alerted the authorities.  Payments were then laundered through the bank accounts of the criminals.

There were 40 confirmed victims of romance fraud but the total number of suspected victims of fraud was 99.  The total amount of laundered funds across all accounts is estimated to be £3.25 million.

Jane Mitchell of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “The criminals here showed complete disregard for their victims who were met on an online dating website for the sole purpose of exploiting and scamming them out of much needed money.

They caused terrible emotional distress to his victims – who were often recently divorced or widowed. None of them had any of the money they thought they were loaning repaid.

“We want to encourage all those who think they’ve been a victim of romance fraud not to feel embarrassed or ashamed but rather to report it.

“A fraud like this only succeeds if there is a willing network to launder this criminal money through their bank accounts. ”

Stop! Think Fraud. Fraudsters aren’t fussy. They’ll pick on anyone.

Nobody is immune from fraud. The criminals behind it target people online and in their homes, often emotionally manipulating their victims before they steal money or personal data.

But there is something we can do. By staying vigilant and always taking a moment to stop, think and check whenever we’re approached, we can help to protect ourselves and each other from fraud.

Members of the public are encouraged to:

1. Stop and think before parting with your money or information in order to keep you safe;

2. Challenge whether the information or request you have received could be fake. It is ok to reject, refuse or ignore any requests as only criminals will try to rush or panic you;

3. Protect yourself by reporting any scams you think you have fallen for to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 and to your bank immediately.

The CPS is committed to working alongside the government and law enforcement to provide a multi-agency response to combat romance fraud and money laundering.  CPS prosecutors work to seek justice in a variety of cases including those that cause the greatest harm to the public especially vulnerable victims.