A middle-aged man (name withheld), who is resident in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, has been duped of a large sum of money (undisclosed) by a lady he met on Facebook, who failed to deliver on her promise to visit him.

The lady, who goes by the name “Ara Ire” on Facebook, but whose real name is Mercy Adeseye, convinced the man that she was interested in a romantic relationship with him and asked for money to cover her travel expenses.

After he sent her money, according to him, she never showed up and stopped communicating with him.

Narrating his ordeal to Vanguard, the man said, ‘Ara Ire’ who is a student of Crestfield College of Health Technology, Erin Osun, Osun State, had not met him in person, but relied solely on their online interactions.

He added that: “I was conned by a scammer who used Facebook to lie to me. She told me she would visit me, but it was all a ploy to get my money.”

“I feel violated and betrayed. I should have been more cautious, but I got caught up in the fantasy of what she was promising me.”

“Once I sent the money to her, she disappeared and stopped communicating with me,” he said.