NEW YORK (AP) - A federal grand jury has indicted a man on charges he swindled at least $360,000 from women by posing as an oil tycoon on various dating websites.
A criminal complaint filed in Manhattan Tuesday accuses John Edward Taylor of stealing or attempting to steal, money, credit and personal information from women on several websites, including Match.com, eHarmony and Craigslist.
Prosecutors say the 47-year-old Taylor often introduced himself as Jay and described himself as a wealthy businessman with oil and land interests in North Dakota.
When confronted with the thefts, prosecutors say Taylor threatened some of the victims, saying he would share private photos of them to their employers.
Taylor faces charges of wire fraud, bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
A message left with his attorney wasn’t immediately returned.
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