This archive report was first published on 24 August 2019.
Published on August 24, 2019, US authorities have charged 80 Nigerians in a massive romance scam that targeted vulnerable elderly women and businesses worldwide.
The suspects, most of whom are from Nigeria, are accused of defrauding at least $6 million (Sh600 million) from businesses and elderly women through various schemes.
One of the schemes involved impersonating email accounts belonging to various companies to send bogus requests for money, while the other was a 'romance scam' where fraudsters wooed users on dating sites, especially elderly women, and asked them for monetary gifts or to complete transactions on their behalf.
Law enforcement officers arrested 14 people in the United States, including two Nigerian nationals, Valentine Iro and Chukwudi Christogunus Igbokwe, who were named as co-conspirators working with others in the US and in Nigeria to obtain money from victims and then transfer it abroad.
US Attorney in Los Angeles, Nick Hanna, said the fraudsters laundered the money after receiving it from their victims, and all suspects will face various charges including conspiracy to commit fraud, conspiracy to launder money, and aggravated identity theft.
