Explore the Archive

A 34-year-old Nigerian man was extradited to the United States to face federal charges for operating cyber-enabled sextortion and romance scams that targeted victims across the country, including an Idaho college student. Shanu and his co-conspirators impersonated women on social media to coerce victims into sharing sexual images, then extorted money by threatening to distribute the images to family and friends, while also conducting romance scams and laundering at least $2 million in proceeds through payment platforms and cryptocurrency. If convicted on eight counts including wire fraud, identity theft, extortion, and money laundering, Shanu faces up to 20 years in federal prison and restitution to victims.

An organized gang in Agra, Uttar Pradesh was arrested for systematically blackmailing young men through dating apps and social media, using female accomplices to lure victims into compromising situations that were recorded and used for extortion. In one case, a victim was coerced to pay 200,000 rupees after being recorded at a hotel under false pretenses, with the gang continuing demands even after partial payments. Police emphasize awareness and caution as safeguards, while national data shows a 28% increase in online sexual exploitation and blackmail crimes in India in 2022.

Two flight attendants at Biman Bangladesh Airlines orchestrated romance scams targeting affluent business class passengers, using their positions to build trust, manipulate travel schedules, and extract gifts, cash, and intimate media totaling nearly $18,000 before ghosting or blackmailing victims. Complaints filed with the airline and Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh involved at least two confirmed victims—a Doha-based businessman and a Dhaka resident—who experienced emotional manipulation, threats, and demands for valuables including an iPhone 16, diamond rings, and wedding funds. The case highlights how scammers exploit professional roles and travel contexts to gain victim confidence, with investigators examining whether victims from other

This resource is a law enforcement guide for investigating cryptocurrency-enabled scams, which have caused at least $53 billion in losses since 2023, with figures likely underreported due to delayed victim reporting. The guide provides investigators with essential terminology, investigation methodologies, and blockchain forensics techniques to trace fraudulent cryptocurrency transactions and identify the real-world controllers behind pseudonymous addresses. It serves as a practical manual for police and law enforcement professionals to understand and combat crypto-related investment scams, phishing schemes, and other cryptocurrency fraud.

Two Nigerian men face lengthy prison sentences in the United States after pleading guilty to serious crimes: Leslie Mba, 40, admitted to orchestrating romance scams and business email fraud schemes that stole $4 million from American victims between 2018 and 2023, along with fraudulent immigration applications, while 22-year-old Godson Oghenebrume pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a firearm while on a student visa. Mba faces up to 20 years in prison with potential fines, with sentencing scheduled for February 2026, while Oghenebrume faces separate charges. To protect themselves, people should be cautious of unsolicited romantic advances from strangers online, verify requests for money or personal information directly with known contacts, and report suspicious emails or communications to authorities.

# Romance and Extortion Scams in North Carolina A tragic case in North Carolina has exposed the deadly risks of online romance scams, where a Jonesborough man was manipulated and extorted by scammers posing as romantic interests before taking his own life in October 2023. North Carolina has seen a surge in various scams affecting over 500 victims and $17 million in losses, including romance fraud, impersonation schemes, and sextortion targeting vulnerable individuals—ranging from elderly residents to teenagers. To protect yourself, authorities advise verifying any unsolicited contact by independently calling known numbers, never sharing personal or financial information with unverified callers, and being cautious of online profiles pressuring you for money, cryptocurrency investments, or wire transfers.

# Romance Scams Summary Romance scammers create fake online profiles to build emotional relationships with victims, ultimately tricking them into sending money or personal information by exploiting people's desire for connection. Red flags include someone moving too fast in a relationship, requesting money, or refusing video calls—scammers often hide on dating apps and social media platforms where they can easily maintain false identities. To protect yourself, be cautious of online connections who you've never met in person, verify identities through video calls, and never send money to someone you haven't met; according to the FTC, consumers lost over $1.14 billion to romance scams in 2023 alone.

This Marketplace investigation exposes a sextortion scam targeting teenagers, particularly young boys, in which criminals create fake female Instagram profiles to lure victims into sending nude photos before blackmailing them for money. The reporters demonstrate how scammers operate by setting up realistic-looking fake accounts, infiltrating follower lists, and using social engineering to manipulate victims into compromising situations. The piece reveals that families across Canada are dealing with the serious consequences of this extortion scheme.

A Nigerian man was extradited from the UK to face eight federal charges for allegedly defrauding Idahoans out of at least $2 million through romance and sextortion scams. He posed as a woman on social media to deceive male victims into sending explicit images, then threatened to share the photos with their families unless they paid. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.

Former Nashville TV meteorologist Brie Smith has been battling an AI-driven sextortion scam for months in which criminals used deepfake technology to create explicit images and videos of her to extort money from her followers. The FBI reports that sextortion scams have targeted tens of thousands of Americans in the past year, with Smith documenting at least 24 fraudulent accounts impersonating her within a single week. Smith ultimately left her position at the local CBS station in January due to the ongoing harassment and emotional toll of fighting the scammers.

Romance scams surge around Valentine's Day, with scammers using sophisticated tactics like the "wrong number" text approach to build trust with lonely people over days or weeks before requesting money or gift cards. Victims have lost tens of thousands of dollars falling for these schemes, which often involve stolen photos of attractive people found on social media or modeling websites. Red flags include requests for money, inconsistent details, and photos that reverse-image search reveals are used elsewhere online; users can verify identities through reverse image search tools and avoid using the same profile photos across multiple platforms.

Police and the Better Business Bureau are warning Wisconsin residents about a "sextortion" email scam in which fraudsters claim to have compromising video footage and demand approximately $2,000 in bitcoin, using publicly available personal information like phone numbers, addresses, and home photos to appear credible. The scammers, typically located in Africa, threaten to send the alleged videos to the victim's contacts unless payment is made; authorities advise recipients to ignore the emails and report them rather than respond, as the scammers will move on to other targets if no payment is received.

This WIRED article features "Scammer Payback," a YouTube scam-baiting channel, answering audience questions about common fraud tactics and red flags. The content identifies three major warning signs of scams: scammers pressuring victims to make quick decisions (especially involving gift cards or Cash App transfers), requests for remote access to computers or phones, and demands for untraceable payment methods like Bitcoin or wire transfers. The educational piece emphasizes that time pressure is a deliberate tactic scammers use to prevent victims from consulting family members or others who might intervene.

This interview with Police Sergeant Ken Hatter addresses the "hello pervert" sextortion scam, in which fraudsters claim to have spied on victims through webcams and demand payment in Bitcoin. Hatter explains that these are mass-template emails sent to multiple recipients and are definitively scams, as actual hackers with computer access would steal money directly rather than request it via email.

"Sextortion" scams are targeting victims nationwide by claiming spyware has been installed on their computers, allowing scammers to capture webcam footage and screenshots of their online activity. The scammers threaten to send this alleged evidence to the victim's contacts unless they pay a ransom, using personalized details like names, addresses, and photos to appear credible. The FBI recognizes this as an extortion scheme that relies on volume and fear to pressure victims into paying.

A new extortion scam targets victims with personalized threatening emails containing their home addresses, phone numbers, and photos from Google Street View, falsely claiming the sender has installed spyware and possesses compromising images. The scammer demands payment in bitcoin (approximately $2,000 in the case documented) threatening to release the alleged images to the victim's contacts, exploiting data from previous breaches to make the threats appear credible. Cybersecurity experts note this is a modern variation of classic extortion tactics that exploits victims' fear and the sophistication of personalized information collection.

The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center received over 880,000 complaints last year, a 10% increase from 2022, with blackmail scam emails being a prevalent threat. These emails threaten recipients with claims of embarrassing footage or compromised browsing data and often include personal details like names, addresses, and street view images to appear credible. Experts note that while these scams are rarely genuine, they are personalized enough to deceive even cautious individuals.

Meta removed approximately 63,000 accounts linked to sextortion scams, primarily operated by criminals based in Nigeria. The scammers created fake Facebook accounts using stolen photos, built trust with victims through messaging, then solicited intimate photos before threatening to publicly release them unless payment was made. The scam operates as an extortion scheme designed to financially exploit victims through blackmail threats.

A mother in Australia intervened when her teenage son was targeted by online sextortion—a scam where criminals blackmail victims using intimate images or threats to coerce money or further exploitation. The mother's quick action likely prevented her son from harming himself, though she later learned of another young person who died by suicide after falling victim to the same scheme. Experts warn that sextortion can occur on any platform with chat functions, and parents are urged to maintain open communication with their children and educate them about not sharing personal information or intimate images online.

A financial columnist for New York magazine fell victim to an elaborate multi-stage scam in which fraudsters impersonating Amazon, the Federal Trade Commission, and a CIA investigator convinced her to withdraw $50,000 and hand it to them in cash over the course of a five-hour phone call. The scammers exploited her vulnerability by threatening her family and creating a false sense of urgency, using isolation tactics to prevent her from seeking help or verification. She came forward with her story to highlight that scam victims span all demographics and professions, and that sophisticated scammers are skilled at identifying and exploiting individual vulnerabilities.