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A US federal court sentenced Nigerian national Adetomiwa Seun Akindele to nearly six years in prison for defrauding an elderly American woman of $1.6 million in a romance scam, in which he posed as a wealthy Italian-American businessman and convinced her to transfer funds through cryptocurrency accounts between January and October 2018. Akindele was ordered to repay $1,692,945 in restitution and will be deported to Nigeria after completing his sentence following guilty pleas to wire fraud and money laundering charges.

Olamide Shanu, a 34-year-old Nigerian man, was extradited from the United Kingdom and charged in federal court in Idaho with defrauding victims of at least $2 million through sextortion and romance scams. Shanu and co-conspirators allegedly posed as women on social media to trick male victims into sending explicit images, then threatened to distribute them unless payments were made, with proceeds laundered through cryptocurrency and peer-to-peer payment apps. He faces eight federal charges carrying up to 20 years in prison and potential restitution to victims.

Olamide Shanu, a 34-year-old Nigerian man, was extradited to the U.S. and charged with operating sextortion and romance scams that defrauded numerous victims across the country of at least $2 million. Shanu and his conspirators posed as women on social media to coerce victims into sending explicit images, then extorted money by threatening to share the images, while also running parallel romance scams using fake identities to manipulate victims into sending money through payment apps, gift cards, and cryptocurrency. If convicted on charges including wire fraud conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, and cyberstalking, Shanu faces up to 20 years in

**Summary:** Ehis Lawrence Akhimie, a 41-year-old Nigerian national, was sentenced to over eight years in federal prison for orchestrating an inheritance fraud scheme that defrauded more than 400 elderly U.S. victims of over $6 million. Akhimie and his co-conspirators sent personalized letters falsely claiming to represent a Spanish bank, telling recipients they were entitled to multimillion-dollar inheritances but needed to pay delivery fees and taxes upfront—funds that were never returned and no inheritance was ever delivered. The case involved international cooperation and Akhimie is the eighth defendant sentenced in connection with the scheme.

Nigerian national Olamide Shanu was extradited from the UK and prosecuted in U.S. federal court for his role in cyber-enabled sextortion, romance scams, and wire fraud that defrauded victims of at least $2 million. Shanu and accomplices posed as women on social media to solicit sexually explicit images from male victims, then extorted money by threatening to release the images to their contacts, with proceeds laundered through cryptocurrency and peer-to-peer payment platforms. Shanu faces an eight-count indictment including wire fraud, extortion, and money laundering, with potential penalties of up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

**Summary:** Charles Uchenna Nwadavid, a 35-year-old Nigerian national, was sentenced to two years in prison for orchestrating romance scams that defrauded at least six victims of over $2 million between 2016 and 2019. The scheme involved creating fake online dating profiles to build trust with victims, then directing them to send money or transfer funds through cryptocurrency accounts that Nwadavid controlled. Nwadavid was ordered to pay $2,724,810.41 in restitution and faces deportation upon completion of his sentence.

In July-August 2025, authorities across 14 African countries arrested 260 people in Operation Contender 3.0, a coordinated INTERPOL crackdown on cybercrime including romance scams and sextortion schemes. The operation identified nearly 1,500 victims, seized over 1,200 electronic devices, and estimated losses at $2.8 million, with Ghana recording the highest arrests (68 suspects, $70,000 recovered) and Côte d'Ivoire dismantling a sextortion ring affecting over 800 victims. The coordinated action highlights the growing threat of digital-enabled crimes across Africa and the critical need for

**Summary:** Tochuwku Albert Nnebocha, a 43-year-old Nigerian national extradited from Poland, was charged in federal court for operating a transnational inheritance fraud scheme targeting American seniors over more than five years. The scheme sent fraudulent letters falsely claiming victims had inherited millions from deceased relatives in Spain and demanded upfront fees for delivery and taxes, with victims sending money through a network of compromised U.S. bank accounts and never receiving promised funds. Nnebocha faces charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud with a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and two co-defendants have already been sentenced to approximately 97 months incarceration.

Tochuwku Nnebocha, a 43-year-old Nigerian, was extradited from Poland to face federal charges for operating a transnational inheritance fraud scheme that defrauded elderly Americans of millions of dollars over five years. The scheme involved sending personalized letters to seniors falsely claiming they were entitled to multimillion-dollar inheritances from deceased relatives in Spain, then requesting upfront fees that were routed through U.S.-based accomplices. Nnebocha faces charges including mail and wire fraud carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years, with two co-conspirators having already pleaded guilty and received 97-month sentences each.

Tochuwku Albert Nnebocha, a 43-year-old Nigerian national, was extradited from Poland to the United States to face federal charges for allegedly operating a large-scale inheritance scam that defrauded elderly Americans over five years. The scheme involved sending personalized letters claiming victims had inherited millions from deceased relatives in Spain, then requesting fees and taxes upfront that victims never recovered. Nnebocha faces mail fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy charges carrying potential sentences up to 20 years, while two co-conspirators have already pleaded guilty and received sentences exceeding eight years each.

Tochuwku Albert Nnebocha, a 43-year-old Nigerian extradited from Poland, faces federal charges for operating a transnational inheritance fraud scheme that defrauded elderly American victims over five years by falsely claiming they had unclaimed inheritances from Spain and requesting upfront fees for delivery and taxes. Victims sent money through a network of compromised U.S. accounts and never received promised funds, with Nnebocha facing up to 20 years in prison if convicted; two co-conspirators have already been sentenced to 97 months incarceration each.

Nigerian national Tochuwku Albert Nnebocha, 43, was extradited from Poland and charged in federal court in Miami for operating a transnational inheritance fraud scheme that defrauded American seniors over five years. The scheme involved sending letters falsely claiming recipients were entitled to multi-million-dollar inheritances from Spain, then requesting upfront fees for delivery and taxes; victims' money was routed through U.S.-based money mules and never resulted in any inheritance payments. Nnebocha faces up to 20 years in prison, and two co-conspirators previously extradited from Portugal and the United Kingdom were each sentenced to 97 months in prison.

Cumbria Police warned the public about romance scams, where fraudsters use fake identities to build online relationships and extract money from victims. In the 12 months to October 1, there were 74 reports of dating scams in Cumbria resulting in losses exceeding £630,000, with victims predominantly aged 50-79. Key protective measures include never sending money to online contacts, verifying identities through reverse image searches, and reporting incidents to Action Fraud.

Kylee Dennis, a 55-year-old former Australian police officer, founded Two Face Investigations in 2023 after her own mother nearly fell victim to a romance scam, and now poses as "Samantha," a fake online persona, to identify and report romance scammers who target vulnerable adults. Romance scams have surged globally, with Australians losing A$23.6 million in 2024 and the UK reporting a 20 percent increase, with victims over 61 being particularly susceptible due to financial stability combined with loneliness and lower digital literacy. Notable cases include a 64-year-old retiree who lost $57

A BBC Three documentary documents the growing epidemic of sextortion scams, particularly targeting teenage boys through social media, with unprecedented filmed access to a Nigerian scam operation ("hustle kingdom") where criminals use AI deepfake technology to impersonate victims. The UK's National Crime Agency reports approximately 110 sextortion cases monthly, while the FBI recorded 55,000 cases in 2024—more than double the number from three years prior. The documentary highlights the tragic case of 16-year-old Evan Boettler, who died by suicide in January 2024 after being blackmailed by a scammer using a fake female profile, and reveals that scammers are investing

A documentary investigation in Lagos, Nigeria reveals organized "Hustle Kingdoms"—training centers where young men are systematically taught to conduct sextortion and romance scams targeting British teenagers, with operators like "Ghost" claiming over £1 million in crypto earnings and taking 70% of victims' payments. Scammers use fake female social media profiles to solicit explicit images from minors, then extort thousands of pounds by threatening to share the photos with schools and employers, with some victims subjected to repeated demands. The scammers, including those as young as 14, display little remorse despite awareness that victims have committed suicide as a result of the blackmail.

A sextortion network operating from Lagos, Nigeria targeted 16-year-old Evan Boettler from Missouri, using a fake female account to coerce him into sharing explicit images before blackmailing him; Evan died by suicide 90 minutes after receiving an extortion message. The investigation exposed "Yahoo Boys" operating sophisticated sextortion and romance scams from "Hustle Kingdoms" in Nigeria, deliberately targeting Western youth, though the case went unsolved when a telecom provider failed to retain digital evidence. Sextortion reports have more than doubled globally, with 55,000 cases reported in the U.S. in 2024 and 110 monthly reports in

Bitdefender's October 2025 "They Wear Our Faces" campaign highlights a surge in AI-driven fraud targeting Americans, who reported over $12.5 billion in fraud losses in 2024. The campaign exposes how scammers use deepfake technology, voice cloning, and personalized impersonation across email, SMS, and social media, with the U.S. receiving 37% of global spam between March-September 2025. Top threats include phishing impersonating Microsoft, Amazon, and Costco, along with increasingly sophisticated SMS scams and AI-powered deepfake videos promoting fake cryptocurrency investments.

INTERPOL arrested Nigerian national Ikechukwu N. in Argentina for orchestrating an international romance scam network that defrauded thousands of women worldwide, marking Argentina's first capture of a Red Notice fugitive under INTERPOL's new Silver Notice system. The arrest was part of Operation Jackal, a 2025 global initiative targeting West African organized crime groups involved in cybercrime, following prior operations that seized over $3 million in illicit assets and froze 700 bank accounts linked to similar fraud networks.

Internet scams have evolved from crude 1990s email cons like Nigerian prince schemes to sophisticated AI-powered deepfakes that can convincingly impersonate voices and faces, with phishing attacks emerging in the early 2000s as online banking adoption grew. Despite technological advances making fraud more convincing and difficult to detect, successful scams continue to rely on exploiting fundamental human emotions—greed, fear, compassion, and loneliness—through predictable psychological manipulation patterns that create urgency and isolate victims from support systems. Understanding how scam tactics have evolved reveals that technological complexity often masks simple psychological manipulation, and recognizing consistent underlying patterns can help potential victims identify manipulation attempts regardless of delivery method.

Tochuwku Albert Nnebocha, a 43-year-old Nigerian national extradited from Poland, faces federal charges for operating a transnational inheritance scam that defrauded American seniors over five years. The scheme involved sending personalized letters claiming victims were entitled to multimillion-dollar inheritances from deceased Spanish relatives, then requesting upfront fees for delivery and taxes; victims sent money through a network of U.S.-based accomplices but never received the promised funds. Nnebocha faces up to 20 years in prison, and two co-defendants have already been sentenced to approximately 8 years each.

Tochuwku Albert Nnebocha, 43, a Nigerian national extradited from Poland, faces federal charges for operating a transnational romance/inheritance scam that defrauded American seniors over five years by falsely claiming they had won multimillion-dollar inheritances from Spain and requesting upfront fees. Victims were instructed to send money through a network of U.S.-based former victims who forwarded funds to the defendants, with none of the promised inheritances ever materialized. Nnebocha faces up to 20 years in prison; two co-conspirators have already been sentenced to 97 months each for their roles in the scheme.

Charles Uchenna Nwadivid, a 35-year-old Nigerian national, was sentenced to two years in prison for orchestrating romance scams that defrauded at least six victims of over $2 million between 2016 and 2019. He pleaded guilty to mail fraud, money laundering, and aiding and abetting money laundering after being arrested at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in April 2025, and was ordered to pay $2,724,810.41 in restitution. Nwadivid created fake online dating profiles to build trust with victims, then convinced them to send money or transfer funds to cryptocurrency accounts under his

Inheritance scams deceive victims into believing a deceased relative left them money, then request payment for taxes or fees that never result in any funds being returned. A 41-year-old Nigerian man, Ehis Lawrence Akhimie, pleaded guilty to defrauding over 400 elderly and vulnerable Americans of more than $6 million through personalized letters falsely claiming to be a Spanish bank representative; he and eight co-defendants received prison sentences. To protect against these scams, seniors should recognize red flags like unsolicited claims, requests for personal information or unusual payment methods, and pressure tactics, and should report suspected fraud immediately to the FTC or law enforcement.