A 45-year-old man was arrested on Thursday for allegedly scamming a 64-year-old woman out of more than 250,000 euros in a scheme known as the ‘Romance Scam’.
The arrest took place at Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport in Porto when the suspect arrived in the country to meet the victim, who intended to give him an additional 25,000 euros, according to a statement from the Polícia Judiciária (PJ) released on Friday.
Authorities uncovered during their investigation that the woman “had been led to hand over various sums of money exceeding 250,000 euros to a fraudster posing as a well-known artist, with whom she believed she was communicating via social media since 2022, and with whom she had developed an emotional relationship”.
“These amounts were delivered through bank transfers, cryptocurrency card purchases, and more recently, cash handovers during in-person meetings with representatives of the supposed artist,” detailed the PJ.
At the time of the arrest, authorities seized “various mobile devices, as well as other relevant evidence.”
The man will appear before the competent judicial authority for an initial court hearing and the application of coercive measures.
