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Nigerian authorities today arrested a 27-year-old man after a coordinated investigation with Queensland Police, charging the man with fraud-related offences.
Queensland police said a 56-year-old Gold Coast businesswoman began an online relationship in July with a man named Benson Lawson.
She believed he was a British engineer who travelled the world, but in reality she was communicating with a calculated conman who swindled her out of a large sum of money.
Superintendent Brian Hay from the Fraud and Corporate Crime Group said the woman had become so convinced the romance was legitimate, and was now paying the ultimate price.
"This woman was simply looking for a relationship, looking for a partner in life, and it cost her somewhere in the order of $47,000," Superintendent Hay said.
"Quite frankly, the poor lady feels humiliated and embarrassed, she is angry and frustrated, and of course is left with a broken heart.
"She has suffered greatly and there's no doubt what she feels will carry far beyond the events of today and the last four months."
The conman came up with a number of complex excuses for needing money, which was sent to several overseas locations, including the United States.
"Each time there was a twist in the story and a different reason for the money to be sent, always with a promise of coming to meet her," Superintendent Hay said.
She was bombarded with declarations of undying love and affection which turned out to be cleverly veiled lies and deceit, he said.
The big sting came when the woman's love interest was on his way to Australia to meet her.
An e-mail later arrived from a Nigerian doctor, who said the man had been involved in a serious car accident while on his way to the airport.
Authorities had recovered a passport and airplane ticket and a diary containing her contact details, with the word "love" written underneath.
After sending pictures of a mangled car, wedged beneath a truck, the doctor pleaded for money to pay for medical bills.
"At the moment Benson is in a coma and very unconscious and needs urgent attention in order to commence further treatment," the e-mail read.
"We expect your urgent response in order to save his life."
Superintendent Hay said the e-mail was a cowardly play on emotion, and was sent with an horrific photograph of a car accident the woman believed had involved her love interest.
If not for the actions of her suspicious son, she may have sent money to assist with the fictitious treatment.
However after conducting an online search, her son found the same photograph of the car accident and discovered it had originally appeared on the internet years earlier.
The family contacted police, and an investigation led to the man's arrest today.
Police believe he had accomplices all over the world, and have not ruled out other victims in Australia.
Superintendent Hay said things could have been much worse, revealing the man had earlier asked for $US60,000 to fund an engineering project.
"We're talking about an intelligent, articulate woman who ordinarily in business circumstances would not be conned," he said.
"There will always be discrepancies, but people get to the point where they want to believe something to be true and therefore make excuses."
He appealed for anyone involved in an online romance to be cautious and never send money to someone they have never met.
"Please give us a call and we will make the time available to talk to you about your situation, and hopefully save you from embarrassment and the loss of thousands and thousands of dollars," he said.
"If you are ever asked to send money, don't. Contact the police, get independent advice and listen to that advice."
By Shannon Molloy
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