Major Bust: Nigerian Man and Thai Accomplices Arrested for Operating Extensive Romance Scam in Thailand (Watch)
Nigerian Citizen and 13 Thai Nationals Apprehended in Thailand for Orchestrating Romance Scam
The Royal Thai Police have detained a Nigerian man, aged 45, and 13 Thai individuals for orchestrating an elaborate romance scam.
The Nigerian suspect, identified as Ezeneche Uzochukwu Jerome, along with his Thai girlfriend and other accomplices, were apprehended on Thursday, August 24, 2023, during a coordinated police operation across seven provinces.
Authorities have revealed that this scam managed to defraud numerous victims throughout Thailand, amassing over 8,000 million baht over the course of four years.
The Commissioner of the Crime Suppression Division (CSD), Montri Tatekhan, issued a statement on Friday, August 25, explaining that the victims had initiated a complaint against the romance scam syndicate in early 2022.
The victims disclosed that the scammers employed fake profiles of attractive foreign women to engage them on social media platforms.
Using these fabricated identities, the fraudsters would claim to be American soldiers stationed in Syria. After establishing a rapport, they would express a desire to visit Thailand to meet the victims.
Prior to their supposed trips, the scammers would inform the victims that they had sent gifts or parcels to Bangkok, dispatched via the airports. Subsequently, they would coax the victims into making upfront payments for taxes or other supposed expenses, promising to reimburse the amount upon their face-to-face meetings.
A group of Thai scammers would then impersonate airport authorities, contacting the victims to demand money for the alleged parcel-handling procedures.
Once the scammers received the desired funds, they would disappear and sever all communication with the victims.
Following an extensive investigation, the police successfully identified the ringleader, 45-year-old Ezeneche Uzochukwu Jerome. Although Jerome had previously faced charges related to a love scam in 2018, he had managed to re-engage in the illicit activities.
Upon scrutinizing the gang’s financial transactions, authorities discovered that each scammer would swiftly transfer the extorted money from victims into foreign bank accounts.
Between 2018 and 2022, the syndicate managed to accumulate over 800 million baht in ill-gotten gains, which were then deposited into overseas bank accounts.
Given the substantial evidence supporting the criminal enterprise, law enforcement officers conducted raids on 14 locations suspected of involvement in the scam. These locations spanned seven spots in Bangkok, as well as others in Pathum Thani, Pitsanuloak, Uthai Thani, Uttaradit, Kamphaeng Phet, and Pichit.
As a result of these operations, 14 suspects, including ringleader Jerome and 13 Thai nationals, were taken into custody.
During the raids, authorities seized 11 mobile phones, 10 bank accounts, 18 debit cards, two computers, two Channel bags, and various documents linked to the fraudulent financial transactions.
Jerome’s girlfriend claimed that their relationship had ended. She explained that, following their breakup, he had invited her to join the scam operation. Due to financial hardships and unemployment, she felt compelled to comply with his request.