A Nigerian man, Franklin Ikechukwu Nwadialo, has been arrested in Texas for allegedly running a multi-million-dollar romance scam. The 40-year-old was detained upon arrival at a Texas airport, facing charges that he defrauded victims out of as much as $2 million by pretending to be a romantic partner in the U.S. military.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington had indicted Nwadialo in December 2023 on 14 counts of wire fraud. He reportedly used the fake name “Giovanni” on popular dating sites like Match, Zoosk, and Christian Café, where he lured victims by claiming to be a U.S. service member stationed overseas. This cover story often prevented him from meeting his victims in person, helping to create trust as he manipulated them into sending large amounts of money.
Gorman said, “Using these personas, Nwadialo invented many reasons he needed the victims to send him money. In one such case in 2020, he indicated he had been fined by the military for revealing his location to the victim.
“He asked the victim to help him pay the $150,000 fine. In all, that victim was defrauded of at least $2.4 million.”
According to authorities, his scam techniques varied. In 2020, he allegedly convinced one victim to send at least $310,000, saying he needed help for his “father’s funeral” and his “son’s tuition fees.” Another victim in 2019 was asked to help transfer funds from U.S. accounts to bank accounts controlled by Nwadialo and others involved in the scheme. Authorities estimate that his fraud scheme brought in more than $3.3 million from unsuspecting victims.
“He claimed that a check she received from another victim was proceeds from her investments and he had her “reinvest” the money in a specific cryptocurrency account that he controlled. The victim transferred at least $270,000 at Nwadialo’s direction,” Gorman said.
U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman acknowledged the challenges in prosecuting international scams, as many of the defendants are typically out of reach of U.S. law enforcement. She commended the team’s dedication in securing the arrest, noting that wire fraud can carry a prison sentence of up to 20 years if convicted. The FBI is currently investigating the case, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Sok Jiang leading the prosecution.
“The fourteen counts of wire fraud relate to the communications with Nwadialo and the wiring of funds from victims to the defendant and his co-schemers.
Gorman noted that wire fraud is punishable by up to twenty years in prison.
“The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law,” the statement said.
This case highlights the need for caution on dating platforms, where scammers may create elaborate stories to gain trust and defraud individuals. Always verify information when connecting with someone online, especially when money is involved.
