A Toronto man has been charged in connection with a romance scam that defrauded two victims of over $600,000 across a two-year period.
Peel Regional Police allege that Chimezie Nwabueze, 28, posed as a wealthy oil rig owner in the Middle East to manipulate two individuals he met on online dating platforms between June 2021 and July 2023. The victims, believing they were in serious romantic relationships, sent a total of $610,382 to Nwabueze, who had promised to repay them and meet in person—neither of which happened.
Authorities say the suspect communicated solely online, fabricating stories of urgent financial needs to solicit funds. Once the victims began questioning him, all communication abruptly ceased.
Following an investigation, Nwabueze was arrested and now faces multiple charges, including:
Two counts of fraud over $5,000
Two counts of possession of property obtained by crime
One count of uttering forged documents
Laundering proceeds of crime
Participating in and instructing offences for a criminal organization
Police believe Nwabueze is part of a larger fraud network targeting older adults through dating websites. He had previously been arrested in November 2023 for allegedly defrauding another individual of over $250,000 using a similar scheme—an ongoing case in the courts.
Investigators urge anyone who may have fallen victim to similar scams to come forward, expressing concern that more victims may still be unaware they’ve been targeted.
