Ohio good Samaritan donated $416,000 to help a woman cover her medical bills. Then he looked into it — and there was no woman

There are some genuine angels out there who are willing to help random strangers with no expectation of recognition or reward. Unfortunately, there are also those eager to exploit their kindness.

Enter New Jersey man Kenny Osas Okuonghae, 38, who has just been sentenced to more than 51 months in prison and ordered to pay $1,275,190 in restitution after pleading guilty to scamming people out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

This included one generous Ohio good Samaritan – referred to in official documentation as ‘Victim 1’ – who was convinced he was helping a woman who’d suffered a serious injury and needed money to cover her hospital bills.

Over the course of the scam, this Ohio man sent $416,155 to Okuonghae, spurred on by messages from a fake  “Dr. Ben Levy” saying things like “”I plead with you on behalf of her to please save this woman’s life” and “I understand that you may be doing the best you can, but you need to know that time is not on her side.”

The “pig butchering” technique

Dr Levy and the woman didn’t exist. As per the New Jersey Attorney General’s office, Okuonghae was engaged in what’s known as a “pig butchering” scam, in which the scammer emotionally “fattens” the victim before “slaughtering” them and squeezing as much money out of them as possible. The report also underlines that Okuonghae was engaged in several other online scams, including property rental and romance scams.

Other scams included Okuonghae posing as a high-ranking former Army general named “Jodie DeSidero” and telling one victim that he needed their assistance to transfer money out of Syria and another that he needed help getting a package through customs.

The Federal Trade Commission has published the following four signs to remember if you suspect there’s a scam.

The first is that the scammer will pretend to be from an organization you know, like your bank, the government, or a tech company. The second is that they will tell you that there’s a problem you need to solve, or a prize you need to claim. Thirdly, they will usually pressure you to act before you think, hoping to get your money before you have time to process what’s happening.

And, finally, you should be deeply suspicious of someone asking you to transfer money by cryptocurrency, wiring money through Moneygram or Western Union, using an unfamiliar payment app, or buying a gift card for them.

They also advise you to be aware that scammers are out there, and recommend that you speak to someone you trust about what’s happening before you send any money to anyone online.