Group created fake dating profiles and stole millions from widows in scam, feds say

A Utah woman was sentenced to time in prison after being found guilty of money laundering in connection with a romance scam that stole millions from women, federal officials said.

Over the course of 2017 to 2019, Nelly Idowu, 39, along with her co-conspirators Emmanuel Osaigbovo Adesotu, Nnamdi Joel Chukwu and Julius Omene Fredrick, would create fake online dating profiles and target divorced and widowed women over the age of 65, according to a news release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Throughout the scam, the group stole more than $6 million, officials said.

Now, Idowu has been sentenced to six years in prison followed by three years of supervised release, officials said. She is the last defendant to be sentenced in the case.

Idowu’s attorney did not immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment.

Adesotu, Chukwu, and Fredrick previously pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy charges, officials said. Adesotu was sentenced to three years in prison, Chukwu was sentenced to one year in prison and Fredrick was sentenced to 46 months in prison.

Their attorneys did not immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment.

The group would befriend a woman on a dating website or social media and convince her that the fake persona was in “urgent financial need,” according to court documents.

The “urgent financial need” would consist of the need to feed co-workers, help family members with medical bills or help U.S. military members stranded overseas return home, the document said.

Then Idowu and her co-conspirators would provide the victims with banking information and tell them to wire the money, deposit checks at a local bank or send cash, the document said.

Many of the victims experienced a large financial loss and others lost their entire life savings, officials said.

“Idowu and her co-conspirators preyed on unsuspecting and vulnerable victims,” U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah said in the release. “The defendants gained their trust and convinced them to send large sums of money, leaving many of the victims in financial despair. My office, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to prosecute these online scams, and seek justice for the victims.”

Idowu, Adesotu, Chukwu, and Fredrick will be ordered to pay $6,444,787.16 in restitution jointly for the victims, officials said.

This story was originally published January 31, 2024 at 9:13 AM with the headline "Group created fake dating profiles and stole millions from widows in scam, feds say."