Lonely man falls for Nigerian dating scam
CanWest News Service
Published: Wednesday, August 01, 2007

RICHMOND -- Most people have heard of the notorious Nigerian e-mail scam, but at least one person has now been taken in by a Nigerian dating scam.

Police in Richmond received a complaint from a man who was stood up by his Internet girlfriend after he sent her $2,000 US to buy a plane ticket from Nigeria to Vancouver International Airport.

"The male complainant advised that he went through an Internet dating service and found a girl on the site," said Richmond RCMP Cpl. Nycki Basra. "The female gave her name as Kelly Gabriel and advised that she lives in Nigeria."

She told the man that she wanted to come to Vancouver to meet him but needed money for the airfare. So he sent it, and the woman told him that she would be arriving via a flight from Murtala, Nigeria, that was non-existent.

"Members of the public should be very wary of information they receive and transmit via the Internet, especially if there is any transfer of money," Basra added.