Man posing as deployed soldier on dating sites steals millions from people, feds say

A man posed as a deployed soldier and scammed people out of millions in a romance fraud scheme, federal prosecutors said.

Franklin Ikechukwu Nwadialo, 40, of Nigeria, defrauded victims out of more than $3.3 million, according to a Nov. 5 news release by the Western District of Washington U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Nwadialo was indicted in December on 14 counts of wire fraud, prosecutors said, and he was later arrested upon his arrival in the U.S. from Nigeria.

His attorney information was not immediately available on Nov. 6.

While using aliases on different dating sites like Match, Zoosk and Christian Cafe, Nwadialo catfished people and usually told them he was deployed overseas while in the military, federal prosecutors said.

Throughout the scam, he curated different reasons as to why he needed the money, prosecutors said.

In 2020, he told one victim he needed $150,000 to pay a fine after he told the victim his location, prosecutors said.

Over time, the victim was tricked into giving him at least $2.4 million, prosecutors said.

Another victim was told to send $330,000 so Nwadialo could have “help moving money in connection with his father’s death,” prosecutors said.

Nwadialo also told a woman he was investing money for her, and he used a check from another victim to fake “proceeds from her investments,” prosecutors said.

The woman eventually sent Nwadialo at least $270,000, prosecutors said.

Another victim sent him at least $310,000 when Nwadialo claimed he needed the money to pay for his son’s tuition and his dad’s funeral, prosecutors said.

Nwadialo was arrested at an airport after arriving in Texas from Nigeria, prosecutors said.

He will be transported to the Western District of Washington for his arraignment, prosecutors said.

“Wire fraud is punishable by up to twenty years in prison,” prosecutors said.

This story was originally published November 6, 2024 at 3:41 PM with the headline "Man posing as deployed soldier on dating sites steals millions from people, feds say."