By McKinsleigh Smith
Last Thursday, Provo woman Nelly Idowu was convicted in federal court after participating in an online romance scheme. Idowu, age 39, was found guilty by a federal jury of one count of money laundering conspiracy and two counts of money laundering.
From 2017 to 2019, Idowu and three others created tons of fake online profiles on sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Christian Mingle. They would then use these profiles to target victims, primarily single elderly women over 65, and flirt with them. Once a romantic bond had been formed, they would claim they were in dire financial circumstances and in need of help. All told, they scammed victims out of more than $6 million.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s office, Idowu earned over $1 million into her personal and business bank accounts before sending the money out of the country in an attempt to conceal these earnings. These accounts were located in China and Nigeria.
The Salt Lake City FBI field office investigated the case. Charges were brought against Idowu and her co-conspirators in 2020. Idowu’s sentencing is scheduled for January 30, 2024, at 10 AM at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah.
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