Elderly man dies by suicide after falling victim to ‘romance scam’

A New Jersey couple is accused of perpetrating the extortion scheme, and scamming the man out of more than $87,000

Chinagorom Onwumere, 34, and Salma Abdalkareem, 27 (Washington County Sheriff’s Office)

An elderly man from Tennesee died by suicide after falling victim to a “romance scam,” according to court documents.

The 74-year-old man was reportedly found dead in his home on 23 October after he was made to believe he was in a romantic relationship with a celebrity and was scammed into paying “fines” to the FBI from a fake sexual harassment suit, the court documents state.

A New Jersey couple is accused of perpetrating the extortion scheme, and scamming the man out of more than $87,000, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said.

Chinagorom Onwumere, 34, and Salma Abdalkareem, 27, were each charged with three counts of extortion, three counts of financial exploitation of an elderly or vulnerable person, two counts of theft over $60,000 and two counts of criminal impersonation.

According to court papers, the couple initiated contact with the 74-year-old in August, tricking him into thinking he was corresponding with a “well-known female actress,” before they began posing as the FBI and told the man he was being sued for sexual harassment of the actress.

The pair allegedly then told him he would have to pay fines to resolve the matter, authorities said, and directed him to write a check to an FBI office, which was actually their home address in Piscataway.

“The scammer scolded the victim for writing the check to the FBI stating that it would raise suspicions,” the charging document said. “The scammer stated that there would now be a $40,000 penalty since the victim did not follow directions.”

The 74-year-old reportedly mailed multiple checks to the Piscataway address totalling up to $87,500, and at one point, took a loan out against his car, the sheriff’s office said.

The sheriff’s office said it was at this point in late October that they became aware of the scam,

Onwumere and Abdalkareem were arrested at their home in New Jersey and transported to Tennessee after waiving extradition, the sheriff’s office said.

If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.

If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.