Nigerian Romance And Crypto Scam: Toronto Police Recover Funds For Canadian Victim

Nigerian Romance And Crypto Scam: Toronto Police Recover Funds For Canadian VictimA Toronto resident who was defrauded of $355,000 in a romance cryptocurrency scam has successfully recovered a portion of the stolen funds after the Nigerian man accused of orchestrating the fraud, Omonkhoa Precious Afure, was arrested, according to the Toronto Police Service (TPS).....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Omonkhoa, who allegedly posed as a Swedish national named Moshem Cnich, was arrested on November 8, 2021, in the Ikoyi area of Lagos, Nigeria, following intelligence gathered by the Nigerian authorities. He is accused of tricking victims into investing money in a fake bitcoin scheme promising high returns.

In a statement released on Monday, December 9, 2024, TPS revealed that they were first alerted to the crypto scam in 2021. The Toronto Police coordinated with several investigative agencies, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s (RCMP) International Liaison Officers in Nigeria and Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to pursue the case.

EFCC officials arrested and charged Omonkhoa Precious Afure, and they later seized the proceeds of the crime. Nigerian courts determined that the stolen assets belonged to the Canadian victim, and in December 2024, the TPS successfully returned $225,000 CAD to the victim.

Omonkhoa, along with his accomplice Lucky Uchechukwu Ndukwe, a manager at Cubana Group, was also arraigned on August 24, 2022, before the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, on charges related to money laundering and the laundering of $164,000.

According to the TPS statement, the victim had initially connected with someone using the name “Moshe Theodor McNigh” on Facebook in June 2021. This individual encouraged the victim to invest in cryptocurrency through a platform called Legacyfxtraders.online. By the fall of 2021, Nigerian law enforcement contacted the victim to confirm that they had been scammed, losing an estimated $355,000 CAD in the fraudulent scheme.

Thanks to the combined efforts of law enforcement agencies in Canada and Nigeria, the Nigerian courts ordered the restitution of the stolen funds to the victim. TPS officials were able to return $225,000 CAD in December 2024.

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) reports that in 2023 alone, victims of romance frauds lost over $52.5 million, while investment frauds cost victims more than $309 million. However, it’s estimated that only 5-10% of fraud victims report these crimes to authorities.

For those wishing to report fraud to Nigerian authorities, the CAFC encourages the use of the Eagle Eye reporting application, which allows individuals worldwide to contribute to the fight against cyber-enabled fraud.

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