Caught in the Act: Nigerian Man Arrested for $600K Romance Scam!

The Shocking Truth Behind the Oil Rig Owner Romance Scam

A Nigerian man, Chimezie Nwabueze, was arrested in Toronto, Canada, for allegedly defrauding a 73-year-old woman of over $250,000 in a romance scam. Posing as an oil rig owner in the Middle East, Nwabueze convinced the victim to send him cryptocurrency funds under the pretense of urgent financial needs.

The two communicated daily via text and phone calls, but never met in person. The victim realized she had been scammed after seeing a media report about romance frauds. Upon arrest, police seized high-value jewelry, a luxury car, and other proceeds related to the offenses. Nwabueze faces multiple charges, including fraud over $5,000, possession of property obtained by crime, uttering forged documents, and identity fraud .

In a separate case, Canadian authorities have declared another Nigerian man, Chukwuka Williams, wanted for allegedly defrauding victims of $275,000 through a romance scam. Williams is accused of posing as a military officer and soliciting funds from victims across Canada between June 2020 and September 2021. He failed to appear in court to face 10 counts of fraud and 11 counts of possession of property obtained by crime .

These incidents are part of a broader pattern of romance scams involving Nigerian nationals. In December 2024, Nigerian anti-corruption authorities arrested hundreds of individuals, including 148 Chinese and 40 Filipinos, in Lagos for operating a large-scale romance and cryptocurrency fraud operation. The suspects targeted victims primarily in America and Europe through phishing schemes and online deception .

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Nigeria continues to investigate and prosecute such cases, highlighting the global nature of these scams and the importance of international cooperation in combating cybercrime.