Toronto Resident Recovers $225K CAD in Crypto Romance Fraud Case

A Toronto resident has recovered a portion of a $355,000 loss in a romance cryptocurrency fraud that took place in 2021. The Toronto Police Service (TPS), in collaboration with Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), facilitated the recovery after arresting the fraudster in Nigeria.

The EFCC charged Omonkhoa Precious Afure of Nigeria, and officials seized the proceeds of the crime. Nigerian courts determined that the assets belonged to the Canadian victim, and in December 2024, TPS officials returned $225,000 CAD to the victim. 

Case Background

The Toronto Police Service (TPS) was first informed of the crypto scam in the fall of 2021. They began working with various investigative departments, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s (RCMP) International Liaison Officers in Nigeria.

In this incident, the victim allegedly began communicating online with an individual named “Moshe Theodor McNigh” on Facebook in June 2021. TPS reported that the suspect befriended the victim, who was encouraged to invest in cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin, through “Legacyfxtraders.online” (Legacy).

In the fall of 2021, Nigerian law enforcement officials contacted the victim, confirming that approximately $355,000 CAD was defrauded in the cryptocurrency investment scheme.

Statistics from the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) indicated that in 2023, victims reported a loss of over $52.5 million in romance scams and over $309 million in investment frauds. “It is estimated that only 5-10% of victims report their frauds to the CAFC or law enforcement,” TPS stated.