Manchester Man Gets 14 Years In $5M Federal Lottery/Romance Scam Case | #datingscams | #lovescams


MANCHESTER, CT — A Manchester man has been sentenced to more than a decade in prison as part of a federal investigation into lottery and romance scams targeting elderly people, a leading prosecutor said.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States attorney for the District of Connecticut, said that Farouq Fasasi, 28, of Manchester, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 168 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in lottery and romance scams that defrauded people nationwide — primarily the elderly — of millions of dollars.

According to evidence presented during Fasasi’s trial, the lottery scam, involved notifications by telephone, through online communications, or by mail, that someone had won a lottery prize. The “winners” are were then told that, in order to collect the prize, they must pay fees for things like taxes, shipping and processing. Often, once a “winner” sent a small amount of money, the scammers asked for larger sums of money with a promise of more winnings.

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The “winners” never received any prizes, Avery said.

Avery said in a romance scam, scammers take advantage of people looking for companionship by pretending to be prospective companions. Scammers typically create fake online profiles on dating websites that include false personal details such as the death of a spouse, or military service, to lure victims to trust them, she said.

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Once they have gained the trust of victims, scammers will ask victims for money, falsely claiming to need money for medical or business emergencies, for travel to see the victim, or other purposes, she said.

According t0 case records, between approximately August 2015 and March 2020, Fasasi, Rodney Thomas, Jr. and others used lottery scams, romance scams and other fraudulent means to induce elderly people to provide them with money, gifts and personal details. “Victims” sent cash, money orders or checks through the mail to various addresses in Connecticut, and also wired or deposited money into bank accounts in Connecticut controlled by conspiracy members and their associates, according t0 case records.

Fasasi, Thomas, and other co-conspirators lived together for a time at a residence on Sherman Avenue in New Haven, where many packages containing cash, checks and money orders from victims were delivered. Fasasi recruited others into the scheme, including those who served as “money mules.” The mules used personal bank accounts, and also established and used bank accounts in the names of businesses and charitable organizations, to launder money obtained from fraud victims, Avery said.

The investigation revealed that the scams defrauded more than 200 victims across the U.S. of more than $5 million, Avery said. Many of the victims were “elderly and vulnerable,” and some victims lost their life savings and one Connecticut victim lost more than $1 million, Avery said.

Judge Underhill ordered Fasasi to pay restitution in the amount $5,946,371.58.

“This is an appropriate sentence for a financial predator who made his money by systematically and cruelly victimizing seniors and other vulnerable individuals,” Avery said. “The Justice Department has made it a priority to investigate and prosecute those who commit these crimes. If you suspect that you or someone you know may be falling victim to one of these schemes, I encourage you to call your local police department or 833-FRAUD-11 for assistance.”

The U.S. Postal service was involved in the case.

“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service has a long and proud history of protecting the United States mail from criminal attack,” Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division said. “This defendant took advantage of one of our most vulnerable populations, senior citizens. As long as we have criminals with such disregard for the law, Postal Inspectors will continue to focus their efforts on the protection of the American public. I fully commend the hard work and countless hours put forth by all of the law enforcement agencies involved, which resulted in bringing this case to justice.”

On Feb. 15, 2022, Fasasi and Thomas were found guilty of multiple charges stemming from the case. Thomas is awaiting sentencing.

Four others have been charged and convicted of offenses in the case.

Fasasi, who is released on a $200,000 bond, is required to report to prison on Sept. 21.


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