A Nigerian man residing in Queensland, Australia has been arrested and charged after allegedly posing as a United States soldier on-line and forming a romantic relationship with a 34-year-old girl who despatched him $370,000 all within the identify of affection.
Cosmos Emeh, 32, appeared within the Brisbane Magistrates Court docket on Friday, the place it was revealed he had additionally been accused of making an attempt to get the sufferer to ship him an extra $170,000 earlier than officers swooped and arrested him at his Durack dwelling on Thursday.
Mr Emeh, who’s in Australia on a scholar visa, allegedly obtained the cash over the course of three months from the 34-year-old Brisbane girl, who later contacted police and sparked the investigation.
In response to his defence lawyer, the accused has been in Australia for 2 years, has no prison historical past, is learning a certificates of city and environmental planning at Griffith College and already holds a bachelor diploma.
He had rented a Durack dwelling together with his accomplice, a everlasting citizen, since coming into the nation.
In response to his defence lawyer, Mr Emeh claimed the SIM card he was discovered with, allegedly related to the cellphone quantity used to ask the sufferer for cash, had solely been in his possession since Thursday after it was despatched to him.
The courtroom heard Mr Emeh denied realizing the sufferer previous to Thursday, having any contact along with her on the web, being the instigator of the connection or realizing he was concerned in a rip-off.
Nonetheless, Mr Emeh conceded that he could look suspicious within the circumstances, his lawyer mentioned.
Police will allege the girl turned concerned with Mr Emeh on a social media platform in October 2018 whereas he was claiming to be a US soldier in Syria.
“Over the course of the following months, the victim was groomed into believing the stories provided by the criminal and formed an online romantic relationship,” a police spokesman mentioned, earlier than the person confronted courtroom.
“The victim sent over $200,000 to the ‘US soldier’ via a series of transfers through a money transfer service.”
Previous to his courtroom look, police issued a public warning after uncovering a “disturbing element” throughout the alleged rip-off. They claimed the accused – performing as an agent for the soldier he was allegedly impersonating – travelled to the sufferer’s dwelling to gather one other $105,000.
In courtroom, prosecutors alleged Mr Emeh had obtained a complete of $370,000 from the sufferer.
Detective Superintendent Terry Lawrence of the state crime command’s monetary and cyber crime group mentioned the alleged rip-off was widespread worldwide.