Romance Scam in the US: Nigerians Receive 30-Year Prison Sentence
Four Nigerians living in the U.S. and Canada were sentenced to prison for their roles in a $3.5 million romance scam.
The group, which included Patrick Edah, Efe Egbowawa, Igocha Mac-Okor, and Kay Ozegbe, used fake identities on dating platforms and social media to deceive victims into sending money between 2017 and 2021.
They acted as “money mules,” laundering the funds through multiple accounts and shell corporations to obscure the origins.
Sentences ranged from 30 to 60 months in federal prison, with the longest handed to Mac-Okor.
The scheme caused both financial losses and emotional distress to victims, some of whom lost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service led the investigation, ensuring justice for the victims.