July 27, 2025 – SANTA ANA, CA – A Whittier man was arrested on Thursday, July 24, 2025, on a 14-count federal indictment alleging that he used dating apps and websites such as Tinder, Hinge, and Bumble to con victims of his romance scams out of more than $2 million.

Christopher Earl Lloyd, 39, was expected to make his initial appearance and be arraigned on the felony charges on Thursday afternoon in United States District Court in Santa Ana.

Lloyd is charged with 13 counts of wire fraud and one count of engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from the fraud.

According to the indictment that a federal grand jury returned on July 2, from April 2021 to February 2024, Lloyd used dating apps and websites to befriend and engage in romantic relationships with his victims. Lloyd lied to his victims to give them the impression that he was financially successful and knowledgeable about investments.

Lloyd’s falsehoods included that he had closed on multiple properties, that he had been a financial manager for years, that he was the vice president of a company called Planet 13 Holdings, and that he worked for an investment company called Landmark Associates. None of these statements was true.

Lloyd fraudulently induced his victims to provide money and property to him, including in the form of purported investments, by telling them he knew of investment opportunities that would benefit them. Lloyd also told his victims that he would invest their money, that they would receive regular returns on these investments, and that they could withdraw these investments at any time.

He supported his false statements by signing contracts with victims that specified the investments that the victims were to make and setting a false schedule of investment returns. Lloyd’s victims then sent him money, including via wire transfers, Cash App, Zelle, or cash payments. Lloyd used the victims’ money for his own personal benefit. For example, in May 2023, Lloyd allegedly withdrew $40,000 in funds a victim sent him to write a check to a Lexus car dealership in Mission Viejo.

In total, Lloyd caused his victims to suffer more than $2 million in losses.

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.         

If convicted, Lloyd would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count and up to 10 years in federal prison for the monetary transaction count.

The FBI is investigating this matter.

Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Fu of the Orange County Office is prosecuting this case.

Source: DOJ Release