A 44-year-old Ellerslie woman is facing a fraud charge after being arrested as part of an alleged romance scam spanning nearly two decades.
Dunedin and Auckland Police worked together on the case after identifying the woman’s alleged victim, a Dunedin man who they say lost more than half a million dollars due to the woman’s actions.
Officers executed a search warrant at an Auckland property yesterday, assisted by the Auckland City Financial Crime Unit.
The woman was arrested and faces a representative charge of obtains by deception.
“Police will allege in court that this scam has run for a period of 18 years, beginning online in 2006,” said Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Ali Ramsay, from the Auckland City Financial Crime Unit.
“The offender in this case has allegedly obtained $525,537 through this elaborate scam.”
The woman is expected to appear in the Auckland District Court on 17 February.
Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Ramsay said that being able to put an alleged offender before the Court was a good outcome.
“Our colleagues in Dunedin have been investigating this case, and we’re glad to have assisted in this result,” she says.
“Romance scams are usually perpetrated by offshore offenders, making prosecutions difficult for law enforcement.
“At the very heart of this are victims whose good nature is taken advantage of, causing emotional and financial stress.”
Police remind the public to be extremely cautious when meeting new people online or through dating applications.
Netsafe has more information on romance scams and what to look out for on its website.
