Police extradite South Africa-based suspect to US over alleged ‘$1.5m romance scam’, wire fraud
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) says it has “successfully” extradited Samuel Ugberease, also known as “Putsammy”, “Putput” and “Sammy”, to the United States to face allegations of online romance scams, wire fraud, and other related financial crimes.
Anthony Placid, the force spokesperson, disclosed in a statement on Thursday that the suspect was extradited through the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) Abuja.
According to the statement, the suspect, who had been residing in South Africa before his arrest, was extradited on Wednesday, May 14, 2026, after the completion of extradition proceedings and collaborative efforts between Nigerian and US law enforcement agencies.
Placid said investigations showed that between 2014 and 2018, the suspect and members of his syndicate allegedly operated online romance scams targeting women in the United States, particularly in the eastern district of North Carolina.
He explained that the group allegedly used fake identities and fraudulent dating profiles to build emotional relationships with victims before deceiving them into transferring huge sums of money through fabricated emergencies and false claims.
The police spokesperson added that proceeds from the alleged fraud were laundered through several bank accounts used to receive and conceal illicit funds.
“In one of the reported cases, the suspect was linked to the defrauding of a victim of over One Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars ($1.5 million USD),” the statement said.
Placid further revealed that the suspect was first arrested by INTERPOL operatives at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos on December 14, 2025, after arriving from South Africa, following an INTERPOL Red Notice issued by US authorities.
He added that the Federal High Court in Lagos later approved the extradition request in line with the provisions of Nigeria’s Extradition Act.
The police reiterated their commitment to using INTERPOL mechanisms, international collaboration, and intelligence-driven policing to tackle cybercrime, financial fraud, and transnational organised crimes, while assuring global partners of continued cooperation in strengthening international security efforts.