For about 150 Americans, what appeared to be a genuine online connection reportedly turned into a painful experience of manipulation, threats and financial loss.
At the centre of the case is 35-year-old Nigerian, Olamide Shanu, who has pleaded guilty in the United States to conspiracy to commit money laundering after prosecutors said he participated in international sextortion and romance fraud schemes.
According to the US Department of Justice, Shanu pleaded guilty on Monday in the District of Idaho and was involved in schemes that generated more than $2.5 million with his co-conspirators.
In one part of the operation, male victims were allegedly persuaded to share intimate images after being approached online. The images were then allegedly used as a tool of intimidation, with victims threatened that the pictures would be sent to their friends and family unless they paid money.
Other victims, including older women and men, were reportedly targeted through romance scams.
Using fake identities on social media, the fraudsters allegedly built emotional relationships with their victims before eventually asking them for money, often claiming to be facing urgent financial difficulties.
Behind the emotional conversations and seemingly genuine relationships, prosecutors said, was an organised scheme designed to exploit the victims’ trust.
The money obtained from the schemes was allegedly moved through peer-to-peer payment platforms and cryptocurrency wallets before being transferred to co-conspirators in Nigeria.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva described the case as a sophisticated international operation that exploited Americans through sextortion and romance fraud.
US Attorney Bart M. Davis also said the guilty plea demonstrated efforts by prosecutors and law enforcement agencies to disrupt international criminal networks and protect victims of cyber-enabled crimes.
Shanu was extradited to the United States to face the charges and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 15.
He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, although the eventual sentence will be determined by a federal judge after considering the US Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.