Manhattan man accused of bilking $1.8M from women in romance scams
A New York man has been accused of scamming at least five women out of more than $1.8 million through romance schemes, according to prosecutors. Nelson Counne, 70, allegedly posed as a wealthy art collector and investor on dating sites and convinced women to make large investments in phony companies. He was dubbed the "Worst Boyfriend on the Upper East Side" in a 2022 article by The New Yorker. Prosecutors claim that Counne's representations were false, and that the only funds in his accounts came from victims of his scams.
