In dating sites and social networks for the search for a soul mate they had created fake
, captivating profiles, through which they had managed to steal the hearts of dozens of single women, but hooked up for the sole purpose of being sent money.
Once they received money in their current account, the telematic Cupids disappeared, leaving the victims with broken dreams of love and with lightened pockets.
An investigation by the Guardia di Finanza of Padua put an end to the 'sentimental' scam, and
two men, Nigerian citizens, were denounced because they were believed to be the perpetrators of the scam.
They are two in their thirties, who live in the Euganean capital, they have a family but are propertyless.
Investigators suspect, however, that there are others
'
yet to be identified.
In the current accounts of the two men, opened in a dozen different credit institutions, over 400 thousand euros entered (and immediately left), which were then transformed into crypto currencies and top-ups on prepaid cards.
There are
about fifty women who have fallen into the sentimental trap, all between 40 and 55 years of age,
residing in the 5 continents: Australia, USA, Hong Kong, Germany, Poland, Portugal and Switzerland.
Once they realized they had been scammed, they turned to the police of their respective countries, who then activated the Italian investigators.
This was the technique of the impostors: they created a fake online profile, complete with a (fake) photo, posing as businessmen, professionals, with a job and an important economic situation.
Initially they established a friendship relationship, then moving on to a virtual sentimental story, thus gaining the trust of the unfortunate ladies.
At this point the requests for money started, with increasing frequency: loans or economic aid that he asked for, claiming to have to pay air tickets, medical expenses, to have to face unexpected financial difficulties.
The 'sweethearts' gave up, by sending wire transfers, some of them for amounts of tens of thousands of euros.
The two suspects took care to collect the money immediately, leaving the amount of the deposit at zero.
The correspondence with the victims, on the other hand, went on for months, sometimes even for a year, in any case the time necessary to overcome the mistrust and defenses of the victims.
Once the purpose was achieved, the alleged lovers disappeared, recycling themselves in other new fake profiles .