A California man was arrested on Thursday for allegedly using dating apps to con his matches out of more than $2m over the course of nearly three years.
Allegedly posing as an investor, Christopher Earl Lloyd, 39, of the Los Angeles-area city of Whittier swindled matches that he befriended and romanced on Tinder, Hinge and Bumble. Federal prosecutors have charged Lloyd with 13 counts of wire fraud and one count of engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from fraud.
According to the indictment, which a federal grand jury returned earlier this month, Lloyd “lied to his victims to give them the impression that he was financially successful and knowledgeable about investments”. Between April 2021 and February 2024, he falsely told victims that he had worked as a financial manager, was the vice-president of a company called Planet 13 Holdings, worked for an investment company called Landmark Associates and had closed on multiple properties.
Lloyd convinced victims to transfer money and property to him via CashApp, Zelle, wire transfers or cash payments and told them “he knew of investment opportunities that would benefit for them,” the central district of California’s US attorney’s office said in a press release announcing the arrest.
To legitimize himself, Lloyd allegedly drew up false contracts and produced a false schedule of investment returns. He told victims they could withdraw their investments at anytime. But instead, federal prosecutors say, he used their money “for his own personal benefit”, including writing a $40,000 check to a Lexus dealership.
An attorney representing Lloyd did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
If found guilty, Lloyd would face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on each wire fraud count and up to 10 years on the monetary transaction count. According to prosecutors, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating Lloyd as well.
