Fake Romeo arrested for allegedly scamming thousands from dozens of women in 8 states
Wilson Jackson, 37, allegedly preyed on women looking for love.
Los Angeles police are looking for more victims of a Lothario who will do more than just steal your heart.
Wilson Edward Jackson was arrested on Thursday after police said he scammed dozens of women in at least eight states out of thousands of dollars under the pretense of forming romantic relationships. He has been charged with felony identity theft, fraud and grand theft auto, according to authorities.
The 37-year-old from Woodland Hills, California, would use online dating apps and social media to woo women -- even flying them out to Southern California -- before stealing money, checks and credit card information, Los Angeles police said.
"While they were asleep or using the bathroom he would go into their purse, steal their identity, their checking account information, their debit card and credit card information," LAPD Capt. Lillian Carranza told Los Angeles ABC station KABC.
He would also ask women for loans, but provide repayment with checks from closed accounts, police said.
Jackson even allegedly claimed to be a millionaire with women he spoke to online. In reality, he's in debt up to $12,000, owed to his landlord, according to KABC.
Los Angeles police said Jackson used Plenty of Fish and Black People Meet in order to connect with the women.
"We started off on kind of casual conversation, which eventually led to a little bit of flirting and maybe wanting to get to know each other a little bit," Acacia Oudinot, an Air Force veteran who says she met Jackson in 2017 after he friended her on Facebook, told Phoenix ABC affiliate KNXV. "He was very sweet and very flirty. He was fun to talk to.”
Oudinot arranged to meet Jackson in Los Angeles, but when she went to the airport, the airline ticket he had bought her turned out to be fake. She said she bought a new one with the promise from him he would refund her.
After meeting him, she believes Jackson took photos of her credit and debit cards while she was in the shower and he bilked her out of $7,000.
Oudinot helped connect the dots for police, spreading Jackson's information online and connecting with several other women who were scammed.
Orlando police had previously named Jackson as a person of interest in similar cases of fraud in December 2011.
The LAPD is asking anyone who believes they might have been a victim of Jackson to call 818-374-9420.
Jackson is being held at Los Angeles County Jail on $270,000 bond.
His next court appearance is May 29.