Classic Nigerian 419 scam. Absolute classic! No doubt for your 'help' you've been promised a hefty 'piece of the action', or 'dire consequences' to your romance for not helping. Any request for money (in advance) to get money, for any reason, is a scam. Every time. More so when it is an on line romance.
He is trying to hook me now. He thinks I am loaded. I keep calling him on his "copy and paste Google conversations". He tells me " my love for you is strong, please don't say that about me". Now I'm just messing with him. But yes he is a definite scammer.