Phnom Penh Municipal Court
on Monday, charged and detained a Nigerian national and his Cambodian
girlfriend for fraud after the couple cheated money out of a victim by using a
fake online profile.
Major Ly Sopheak, a
municipal military police official, identified the two accused as 31-year-old
Nwosu Martins and his girlfriend, 35-year-old Kan Kalin. Both lived in a rental
house in Chamkar Mon district’s Boeng Tumpon commune.
Maj Sopheak said that they
were charged with fraud and face up to three years in prison if convicted.
He added that they were
arrested by municipal military police last Tuesday in Por Senchey district
after they allegedly cheated a 34-year-old woman out of nearly $4,000.
Maj Sopheak said that in
February, Mr Martins created a fake profile using the name “Jerry Snow” and a
photo of a foreigner before sending a friend request to the victim.
Maj Sopheak added that
after the victim accepted the request, Mr Martins started talking to her,
telling her that he was a US soldier based in Afghanistan and is set to retire
in 2020.
The accused further claimed
to have millions of US dollars and wanted to buy a condominium in Phnom Penh,
telling her that he wanted to send her money so that she could buy the condo on
his behalf before he would visit Cambodia next year.
Maj Sopheak noted that on
May 15, Mr Martins told the victim that he had already sent her the money to
buy the condo and told her to contact a transport company in Siem Reap province
to retrieve it.
Maj Sopheak added that on
June 1, a Cambodian man, who claimed to be the chief of the so-called transport
company, alerted the victim about the money sent from abroad and required her
to pay $550 as service fee. The victim transferred the requested amount through
a Wing Transfer Money shop.
Maj Sopheak noted that on
June 4, Ms Kalin called claiming she was a staff at the transport company and
asked for another $5,300 from the victim as service fee, citing an excuse that
the high fee was due to the large amount of money transferred. The victim
negotiated the price down to $3,000 and transferred the amount.
Maj Sopheak noted that
later that day, Mr Martins called the victim and asked for $4,700 for tax. The
victim finally become suspicious and filed a complaint to the municipal
military police.
He added that Mr Martins
and Ms Kalin were arrested on June 11 at about 11.30pm when they travelled on a
motorbike to a Wing Transfer Shop in Por Senchey district to retrieve the
$4,700 they last requested.
After their arrest,
military police seized the motorbike, $4,700 and five phones from them,
including the phone used in the crime.
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