Toronto-based Nigerian man arrested in $600K romance scam

A Toronto-based Nigerian man, Chimezie Nwabueze, has been arrested and charged after allegedly defrauding two victims of over $600,000 in a long-running romance scam that spanned more than two years.

According to Peel Regional Police, the two victims believed they were in a committed romantic relationship with Nwabueze between June 2021 and July 2023 after meeting him online.

Throughout that period, the 28-year-old suspect allegedly convinced them he owned an oil rig in the Middle East and urgently needed money to keep it operational. He promised to repay the funds and arrange a physical meeting — neither of which ever happened.

Authorities say the victims, who never met Nwabueze in person, lost a total of $610,382. The suspect reportedly cut off all contact once the victims began asking questions about repayment.

This is not Nwabueze’s first run-in with the law. Police revealed he had previously been arrested in November 2023 for using a nearly identical scheme to defraud another victim of more than $250,000. That case remains before the courts.

Nwabueze was arrested again on Monday and now faces a slew of charges, including:

• Two counts of fraud over $5,000
• Two counts of possession of property obtained by crime
• Uttering forged documents
• Laundering proceeds of crime
• Participating in activities of a criminal organisation
• Instructing the commission of an offence by a criminal organisation

He has been released on an undertaking and is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton.

Police believe Nwabueze is part of a broader criminal network that deliberately targets older adults on dating websites, exploiting their trust and emotional vulnerability for financial gain.

Investigators are urging anyone who may have had similar interactions or believes they may have been victimised to come forward.