Online dating can be awkward. Sometimes it’s bad small talk. Sometimes it’s ghosting. And sometimes, unfortunately, it’s a scam that costs people everything.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio, a 41-year-old Cincinnati man has been sentenced to prison for his role in a romance fraud scheme that took more than $2 million from victims.
Richard Opoku Agyemang was sentenced to 41 months in prison after helping launder money from the operation, which targeted people looking for connection online. The scheme involved fake dating profiles built with stolen photos and made-up identities, designed to build trust before asking for money.
Victims were told their online partners needed help with things like medical expenses.
Instead, that money was funneled into accounts controlled by Agyemang and then moved across the U.S. and overseas.
And this wasn’t small change. Some victims drained savings, maxed out credit cards, and even sold homes or cashed out retirement accounts after being pulled into these relationships.
Agyemang was also ordered to pay nearly $1.4 million in restitution to victims who could be identified, along with additional restitution tied to a fraudulent COVID-era relief loan he received.
Cases like this are a reminder that while dating apps can lead to real connections, they can also be used in very calculated ways. If something feels off, especially when money enters the conversation, it’s worth taking a step back and asking your friends and family for help.
