CPS convicts five individuals for laundering £3.25m from romance fraud, using fake dating profiles to exploit victims with fraudulent financial requests

Edusei and others carried out romance fraud by creating fake dating profiles and deceiving victims into believing they were in real relationships. Using emotional manipulation, they persuaded victims to send money for fabricated emergencies such as failed business trips, fines, or lost wallets. Victims transferred funds via bank accounts or post until they either ran out of money or became suspicious. The stolen funds were then laundered through the offenders’ accounts…