Cork-based romance scam victim avoids jail for role in money laundering

Alida Kuiken told gardaí she had transferred the money into another account, and had sent it by bitcoin onto the person with whom she believed she was in a relationship

The garda accepted that her lack of understanding about what she was involved in was borne out of her correspondence with the bank, after her account was blocked immediately following the transfer.

A romance scam victim, who thought she was engaged to a US marine she had never met, has been given a suspended sentence for allowing her bank account to be used to launder €17,000 in stolen money.

Alida Kuiken, aged 50, with an address at Kilrussane, Knockraha, Cork, was before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Thursday, where she had pleaded guilty to allowing €16,997 in crime proceeds to be transferred through her account on September 27 and 28,2022.