Man posed as U.K. diplomat as part of $30K fraud of Ont. woman: police

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NEWMARKET, Ont. — Police say a 41-year-old man — who allegedly claimed to be a diplomat from the United Kingdom as part of an elaborate fraud — is facing charges after an Ontario woman lost $30,000 in a couple of scams.

York Regional Police say a 51-year-old Vaughan, Ont., woman told investigators that after meeting a person online and falling victim to a classic romance scam, the fraudster agreed to pay back some of the money.

Investigators say the woman made arrangements to meet an associate, purported to be a U.K. diplomat named Adam David, at Pearson International Airport to collect the money. They say the woman was then told she had to pay a fee to free the funds as they were being held up in customs and to meet David later at a hotel.

When the woman met the man in the hotel, he showed her a case full of cash that was painted black, and was told it had been painted in order to smuggle it into the country, and she’d have to pay to get it cleaned.

Arrangements were made to meet on another day to exchange money for the cleaning solution, but the woman never saw the money or the man again.

Police say a Brampton, Ont., man — Taiwo Gbolade — is scheduled to appear in Newmarket, Ont., court on Sept. 29 to face charges of fraud over $5,000 and possession of property obtained by crime.

Investigators say the accused goes by the aliases of Adam David and David Adam and they believe there may be more alleged victims.

The Canadian Press

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