A 44-year-old Auckland woman has been arrested for allegedly defrauding a Dunedin man of more than half a million dollars in what police describe as an “elaborate” romance scam that lasted nearly two decades.
According to a report by 1News, Police said the Ellerslie woman allegedly began the scam in 2006 after meeting the man online and continued it over an 18-year period. During that time, she is accused of obtaining $525,537 from the “unsuspecting” victim.
The woman was taken into custody after police, assisted by the Auckland City Financial Crime Unit, executed a search at an Auckland property today, as reported by 1News.
She has been charged with obtaining by deception and is scheduled to appear in the Auckland District Court on February 17.
Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Ramsay said romance-fraud investigations can be challenging because offenders are often located overseas.
"At the very heart of this are victims whose good nature is taken advantage of, causing emotional and financial stress, 1News has quoted.
“Our colleagues in Dunedin have been investigating this case, and we’re glad to have assisted in this result,” as quoted by 1News.
Police also reminded the public to "be extremely cautious when meeting new people online or through dating applications".
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