LEXINGTON, Ky. — In a chilling turn of events, Ismaila Fafunmi, a Nigerian national residing in Indianapolis, has pleaded guilty in federal court to money laundering charges stemming from a romance fraud and grant fraud scheme that defrauded unsuspecting Americans out of over $200,000.
Fafunmi, who began his criminal enterprise in June 2018, conspired with others to set up fake dating profiles on websites, targeting American men, often military personnel. His co-conspirators engaged in conversation with victims, typically women over 50, fabricating romantic relationships and manipulating them into sending money for various reasons.
One Kentucky victim, deceived into believing she was in a relationship, lost more than $200,000 to Fafunmi’s scheme. Another female over 50 believed she was being awarded a large grant and was conned out of additional funds under the guise of fees. The scammers would also create bank accounts under various names to retrieve fraudulent funds.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, echoed the sentiment that such scams prey on the vulnerable, stating, ‘Internet-based romance scams and grant fraud scams prey on vulnerable individuals and frequently consist of nothing more than promises that are too good to be true.’
FBI Louisville Field Office Special Agent in Charge James Robert Brown, Jr., highlighted the egregious nature of these crimes, emphasizing the FBI’s dedication to pursuing those who target our most vulnerable citizens online.
Scheduled for sentencing on November 19, 2020, Fafunmi faces up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $500,000. The case is part of the Department of Justice’s efforts to identify and prosecute those who facilitate elder financial exploitation, with the Kentucky Elder Justice Task Force seeking justice for victims.
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Key Facts
- State: Kentucky
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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