Brampton man charged in ‘romance scam’ that defrauded victims of more than $250K: police

A man uses a computer keyboard in Toronto, Monday, Oct. 9, 2023 in this photo illustration. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graeme Roy

Halton police have arrested a Brampton man in connection with a romance scam that investigators say cost its victims more than $250,000.

The investigation began with an alleged theft of cheques from a business in Burlington. Police say that the stolen cheques were deposited into a spoof bank account which led investigators to a “large scale romance scam that utilized various online dating platforms and involved the same suspect.”

According to police, the scam had three victims in Canada and one in the United States.

Halton Regional Police say that the suspect used a variety of aliases, including “Donald Duke, Nathan Douglas, and Peter Anderson.”

On Wednesday, police arrested a suspect they believed to be behind the fraud.

Investigators found fraudulent documents and other evidence during the execution of a search warrant.

Osarumwense Irabor, 49, has been charged with possession of a forged passport, fraud over $5000, money laundering, and three other charges.