By The newspaper
01 Dec 2023, 14:00 PM EST
A New Jersey couple was arrested as suspects after one of their 74-year-old alleged victims took her own life in Tennessee following a $100,000 “love” email scam.
According to a criminal complaint, Chinagorom Onwumere, 34, and Salma Abdalkareem, 27, “schemed to obtain money or property under false and fraudulent pretenses” between August 13 and October 23.
Three weeks ago, Onwumere and Abdalkareem were arrested at their home in Piscataway, New Jersey, where investigators say they found an envelope the victim sent to that address, reported yesterday. ABCNews.
“The victim was simply scared and felt like she needed to pay the money.”
ROMANCE SCAM: A New Jersey couple is facing charges in Tennessee after they were accused of tricking an elderly man into believing he was in a relationship with a celebrity. Police say the man later died by suicide. https://t.co/2ScmUoEx7w
— News12NJ (@News12NJ) November 29, 2023
Investigators in Tennessee say part of the scam involved Abdalkareem posing as a well-known actress and wanting to have a relationship with the victim, even exchanging photographs.
They say that’s when Onwumere emailed the victim and “pretended to be from the United States FBI” before “telling the victim that he had filed a sexual harassment lawsuit because of conversations” with Abdalkareem.
The complaint also states that the fake FBI agent told the victim that he would have to “pay fines so that the matter could be resolved out of court.”
Police say the pair got the victim to send checks for $4,500 and $5,500 and then upped the ante, getting him to send two more for $41,000. In total, the unidentified victim is believed to have sent more than $100,000 to Onwumere and Abdalkareem.
“The victim was just scared and felt like he needed to pay the money,” said Washington County, Tennessee, Lt. Vince Walters.
That county’s Sheriff’s Office intervened after the 74-year-old man was found dead in his home with a gunshot wound to the head and contacted by the family who discovered the emails. Investigators believe the victim’s extortion led to his suicide.
Tennessee police located the couple in New Jersey and worked with the Piscataway Police Department to execute a search warrant at their home, leading to their arrest.
Onwumere and Abdalkareem have been charged with extortion, financial exploitation of an elderly or vulnerable person, theft over $60,000 and criminal impersonation.
Additional charges are pending as the investigation remains ongoing. All charges are mere accusations and those charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
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I looked for help
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- Review information at https://nycwell.cityofnewyork.us/es/ and www.988lineadevida.org