A Nigerian man identified as Kingsley O. has been arrested in Turkey over allegations linked to a $2.5 million romance scam involving a Hong Kong-based dentist.
Turkish media reports say he was detained in Esenyurt, Istanbul, alongside four other suspects after authorities uncovered an alleged online fraud network that operated for about two years.
Investigations claim the suspect met the victim online in 2020 and posed as an American businessman named Richard, while also promising to marry her.
He reportedly maintained a long-distance relationship with the woman and allegedly convinced her that he was involved in a major investment project in Istanbul that required financial backing.
Believing the marriage promise, the victim is said to have transferred about $2.5 million in several payments to different bank accounts in Turkey between 2020 and 2022.
After the transfers, communication reportedly stopped, which led the victim to report the matter to authorities in Hong Kong.
Although initial efforts by Hong Kong police reportedly did not produce results, she later engaged a lawyer in Turkey and filed a formal complaint with the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Turkish police then traced the bank accounts linked to the funds and arrested five individuals connected to them.
While four of the suspects denied involvement, one allegedly told investigators he passed the funds in his account to a Nigerian man known as Richard.
That lead reportedly helped authorities identify Kingsley O. as the suspected organiser of the scheme.
He was arrested and taken into custody for questioning, though he denied the allegations during interrogation.
He and the other suspects were later arraigned in court following the conclusion of investigations.
