A Nigerian man identified as Kingsley O. has been arrested in Turkey over an alleged $2.5 million romance scam involving a Hong Kong-based dentist.
According to Turkish news platform Haberler on Friday, Kingsley and four other suspects were apprehended in Esenyurt, located in Istanbul Province, after authorities uncovered an alleged online fraud operation said to have lasted for two years.
Investigators alleged that Kingsley posed as an American businessman named Richard and met the victim, identified as Siu P.Y.F., online in 2020, where he reportedly promised to marry her.
Police said the two maintained a long-distance relationship mainly through phone conversations, during which the suspect allegedly claimed he was handling a major investment project in Istanbul and required financial support.
Convinced that they would eventually get married, the dentist was said to have transferred a total of $2.5 million in instalments into different Turkish bank accounts between 2020 and 2022.
Authorities alleged that after receiving the money, the suspect suddenly cut off communication with the victim and became unreachable, prompting her to file a complaint with law enforcement authorities in Hong Kong.
The report added that preliminary investigations by Hong Kong police failed to make progress, leading the victim to hire a Turkish lawyer and petition the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Following the complaint, operatives of the Istanbul Police Department’s Fraud Bureau reportedly traced the accounts linked to the transfers and arrested five account holders connected to the transactions.
While four of the suspects reportedly denied involvement in the fraud, one individual allegedly informed investigators that the funds received through his account were handed over to a Nigerian man identified to him as Richard.
The statement reportedly helped investigators trace Kingsley, whom authorities described as the alleged mastermind of the scheme.
He was later arrested during a police operation and taken into custody for questioning.
According to the report, Kingsley denied all allegations levelled against him during interrogation.
He and five other suspects were subsequently arraigned in court under heavy security after police concluded their investigations.
Authorities further alleged that the suspect used a fake identity to manipulate the victim into releasing the funds under the pretext of a romantic relationship and future marriage.
