Columbus man involved in online romance scam operation sentenced to over 2 years in prison
A Columbus man convicted of money laundering nearly $840,000 that he and co-conspirators scammed over eight years from victims they preyed on through online dating sites and apps will be spending this Valentine's Day — and two more —in prison.
Mubarik Ibrahim, 37, received a 27-month sentence Tuesday from U.S. District Court Judge Michael H. Watson in Columbus for his guilty plea in June 2023 to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. The judge also ordered Ibrahim to make restitution for the nearly $840,000 they stole from people looking for love.
Court documents allege that between December 2014 and April 2022, Ibrahim and an unknown number of co-conspirators stole money from people via online dating scams. The group created fake profiles on dating apps and websites, then used these profiles to connect with other users and lull them into a false sense of security and romance.
Once victims were comfortable, the scammers would convince their victims to send money under the guise of an investment opportunity or some serious need-based reason. The money would be sent to accounts that were controlled by Ibrahim, who then moved the money to other individuals via wire transfers, bank transfers, checks, and ATM cash withdrawals, according to Tony Westendorf, the Internal Revenue Service Special Agent in Charge of the agency's Cincinnati field office.
Investigators estimate that Ibrahim received almost $840,000 in stolen funds and tried to launder an additional $339,218 into a bank account. However, the bank blocked the latter transaction due to a "fraud recall" and returned the money to the victim, Westerbdorf said in a news release.
@ShahidMeighan
smeighan@dispatch.com
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus man sentenced to prison in online dating scams
