A 39-year-old Whittier man was arrested Thursday for allegedly scamming victims he met on dating apps out of more than $2 million.

Christopher Earl 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 U.S. Attorney's Office.

From April 2021 to February 2024, Lloyd is accused of using dating apps and websites to befriend and engage in romantic relationships with his victims. Federal prosecutors say he lied and convinced his victims that he was financially successful and knowledgeable about investments.

The federal indictment lists five different victims that Lloyd allegedly met through Tinder, Hinge and Bumble, who transferred him large sums of money. Transactions ranged in amounts from $15,500 to $110,000. One alleged victim sent him nearly $200,000.

Lloyd told his victims 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. Prosecutors say none of these claims is true.

He would ask his victims for money and property for him to invest, promising them regular returns on their investments, and telling them they could withdraw the investments at any time. Lloyd signed contracts with his victims and provided a false schedule of investment returns.

Federal prosecutors said that Lloyd used the funds for his benefit, including withdrawing $40,000 that was sent to him to purchase a vehicle at a Lexus Dealership in Mission Viejo.

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.