FBI Arrests Seven Nigerians Over $8 Million Romance Scams
On Valentine’s Day, a federal grand jury in Salt Lake City, Utah, issued an indictment against seven defendants implicated in a romance scam that inflicted approximately $8 million in losses on victims across the United States and globally.
This announcement marks a concerted effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, alongside law enforcement partners, to combat and raise awareness about such fraudulent activities.
The indicted individuals, including Bolanle Christina Odeyale, Oghenemine Jeffrey Agbroko, Charles Owhonigho Emurotu, Jimmy Iwezu, Lori Tsoritse, Christopher Onyedikachi Okereke, and Rukevwe Solomon Ologban, allegedly collaborated with a group known as the “Utah Money Transmitters” between March 2018 and June 2019. The Utah Money Transmitters purportedly aided overseas operators, commonly referred to as “Yahoo boys” based in Nigeria, in laundering ill-gotten gains from the romance scam.
The modus operandi of the Yahoo boys typically involved creating fictitious online personas to initiate relationships with unsuspecting individuals.
Once trust was established, they would fabricate stories, such as urgent financial needs, for various purposes, exploiting the generosity of victims, many of whom were elderly and suffered significant financial losses.
The role of the Utah Money Transmitters was pivotal in facilitating the scam, as they operated in the District of Utah, utilizing accounts in U.S. financial institutions to collect and distribute funds, obscuring the trail of illicit proceeds and the identities of the Yahoo boys.
The defendants face charges including wire fraud, wire fraud conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy.
Their initial court appearance will be scheduled later at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City, presided over by a U.S. Magistrate Judge.
The FBI Salt Lake City Field Office spearheads the investigation, while Assistant United States Attorney Carl D. Lesueur prosecutes the case.
The FBI urges individuals involved in online relationships to educate themselves about romance scams on its website, FBI.gov, and encourages victims to file complaints at ic3.gov.
Further details on romance scams are available at https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/romance-scams.
