$560,000 Romance Scam: Two US-Based Nigerians Face 40 Years in Prison

 

Two Nigerian nationals, Olutayo Sunday Ogunlaja, 39, and Abel Adeyi Daramola, 37, are facing a combined 40-year prison sentence for their roles in a romance scam that defrauded a victim of $560,000.

The pair were convicted in a U.S. federal court following a four-day trial and less than three hours of jury deliberation.

A statement by U.S. Attorney Alexander Uballez and FBI Special Agent in Charge Raul Bujanda revealed that the scheme, which began in January 2016, involved a fictitious persona, “Glenn Brown,” created on the dating site eHarmony.com.

The duo, along with an accomplice, used this fake profile to manipulate a victim in Albuquerque, New Mexico, into sending large sums of money under the pretense of aiding a construction project in Malaysia.

Between January 2016 and April 2017, the victim transferred $560,000 to accounts in the U.S., Canada, and Malaysia. Evidence presented in court highlighted specific transactions, including a $28,000 wire transfer to an account linked to Daramola.

Daramola then funneled the money to other parties, including a seafood importer in Denmark.

Daramola denied involvement, but FBI investigations revealed incriminating text and WhatsApp messages on his phone, showing he provided bank accounts for multiple fraud schemes.

Ogunlaja, on the other hand, used his Bank of America account to receive fraudulent funds, including $40,000 deposited by the victim in March 2016. Ogunlaja subsequently withdrew and transferred funds to Daramola’s account.

Despite their denials, the weight of evidence led to the duo’s conviction. Both defendants remain on conditional release awaiting sentencing, where each faces up to 20 years in prison without parole. Sentencing dates have not yet been scheduled.