Mumbai, April 4: In a bizarre incident that took place in Hong Kong, a man from Italy was allegedly duped to the tune of over $1.8 million by his love interest whom he met online. Surprisingly, the man, a financial consultant by profession was reportedly tricked by his so-called ‘internet lover’ to invest his money in cryptocurrency.
Reports suggest that the man was duped of over $1.8 million in a span of five weeks. According to a report in China Morning Post, the 55-year-old man who was living in the Western District fell prey to the ‘online love scam’ after he responded to a message on the popular dating app Tinder. Romance Scams: Dating Apps Like Tinder, Hinge, Match, Plenty of Fish To Offer In-App Tips on Avoiding Online Frauds.
Victim Stays in Connect With ‘Love Interest’ via WhatsApp
The incident is said to have taken place in February. After the incident came to light, it was learned that the Italian financial consultant fell prey to the online romance scam after he received a message from a con, who posed as a female investment broker from Singapore.
After coming in contact with his ‘online love interest’, the man continued to stay in touch and even started communicating on WhatsApp. Soon, the two were in an online romantic relationship. In no time, the con artist convinced the victim to invest in digital money. Following this, the man set up an account on a bogus trading website.
Financial Consultant Made 22 Transaction to 9 Bank Accounts
As per the report, the con artist who posed as a woman told the victim that making investments in digital money could lead to high returns. After a few days of their ‘online romance’, the man-made about 22 transactions between March 6 to 22. He reportedly transferred money into nine different bank accounts. Conmen Made $1.3 Billion Via Romance Scams in 5 Years, Cryptocurrency Biggest Lure.
However, the man grew suspicious when he realised that he was not getting any returns or his money back even after making investments. Realising he was being cheated, the man approached cops and lodged a complaint. The police started investigating the matter and classified the case as “obtaining property by deception”.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 04, 2023 04:11 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
