Online romance scammer gets 7-year jail sentence
Online romance scammer gets 7-year jail sentence in south africa
An individual who perpetrated a scam in the context of online romance by leading a man to believe that he was an Italian woman has been sentenced to seven years in prison for fraud and extortion.
Chinedu Jonathan Madueka was given a five-year reprieve from his prison term by the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court on the condition that he did not commit any acts of fraud or extortion during that period of time.
Madueka entered a guilty plea to the charge of extorting $800 (R12,721.87) from the guy, the name of whom cannot be disclosed, by threatening to publish nude images of the man if he did not cough up the money. Madueka used the threat to extort the money.
The complainant thought he was seeing an Italian woman because Madueka posed as one.
As the relationship progressed, the accused requested that they exchange naked photos and videos.
Phindi Mjonondwane, a spokeswoman for the National Prosecution Authority (NPA), said:
“The complainant obliged and after receiving the pictures of the complainant, Madueka revealed his gender and demanded payment, threatening to circulate the naked pictures on social media platforms,”
“The complainant was satisfied that Madueka pleaded guilty and paid back the money he extorted from him,”
The prosecutor, Lufuno Godfrey Maphiri, said that the accused lied about who he was and used the complainant’s feelings against him.
Scamming innocent individuals online who don’t know what they’re doing is not acceptable, he argued.
