A Whittier man accused of using dating apps to scam victims out of more than $2 million was arrested Thursday, July 24.
Christopher Earl Lloyd, 39, was charged with 13 counts of wire fraud and one count of engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from fraud after he allegedly lied to victims that he met through dating apps and sites about his financial success and persuaded them to give him money and property for fraudulent investment opportunities that he said could benefit them.
The scheme took place from April 2021 through February 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Lloyd convinced victims of his financial success by saying he had closed on multiple properties, worked as a financial manager for years, was the vice president of a cannabis company called Planet 13 Holdings and worked for an investment company, all of which were lies, authorities said.
Prosecutors allege that Lloyd told victims that once he invested their money, they would get regular returns on their investments. He also reportedly told victims that their investments were insured up to a certain amount and that they could be withdrawn at any time, according to the indictment.
Lloyd signed contracts with victims that specified their investments and laid out a false schedule for returns before they sent him money through wire transfers, Cash App, Zelle or cash, the DOJ said.
After he received the payments, Lloyd used the money for himself, in one case withdrawing $40,000 from a victim to write a check to a Mission Viejo Lexus dealership, prosecutors allege.
If convicted, Lloyd could face up to 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count and up to 10 years for the monetary transaction count.