REAL-LIFE TINDER SWINDLER

Man Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison After Wiring Millions Away From Elderly Singles

Abdul Rasak Garuba collected the millions on behalf of Nigerian fraudsters.

A Woodbridge, Virginia, man was sentenced to nearly two years in prison Friday after he spent money he obtained illegally from a number of elderly people after they were scammed through online dating apps. Abdul Rasak Garuba, 41, was arrested in 2020 after he spent years collecting money from older people who thought they were sending the cash to a romantic suitor. Instead, Garuba was collecting the money on behalf of people in Nigeria who were actually scamming the elderly singles. He eventually transferred 15 percent of the $2.9 million he collected to the fraudsters, using some of the remainders to buy vehicles at U.S. actions that would be transferred to Nigeria. “The Department of Justice is steadfastly committed to combating all forms of elder abuse and financial exploitation,” the DOJ said in a statement. “This holistic and robust response demonstrates the Department’s unwavering dedication to fighting for justice for older Americans.”