Turkish police have arrested a Nigerian man and five suspected accomplices in Istanbul for an alleged $2.5 million romance scam that targeted a dentist in Hong Kong.
The prime suspect, identified as Kingsley O., 43, was picked up in Istanbul’s Esenyurt district and arraigned before a court on Thursday, June 12, 2026.
–“Richard the businessman” pitch–
According to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Fraud Bureau of the Istanbul Police Department, the victim, Siu P.Y.F., met a man on a dating platform in 2020. He introduced himself as “Richard,” claiming to be a wealthy American businessman.
![](https://www.theconclaveng.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Hartland.png")
Investigators said the relationship moved off the app to phone conversations. Over months, discussions shifted to marriage plans. In 2021, “Richard” told the victim he was in Istanbul for a major investment project and urgently needed funds to close the deal.
Believing she was helping her future husband, the dentist transferred $2.5 million in installments to multiple Turkish bank accounts between 2020 and 2022.
–Money trail leads to Esenyurt–
Police said communication stopped abruptly after the last transfer. The suspect became unreachable and switched off his phone.
The victim reported the fraud to Hong Kong police. When progress stalled, she hired a Turkish lawyer who filed a complaint with the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The case was assigned to the Public Order Branch’s Fraud Bureau.
Investigators traced the bank accounts that received the funds and arrested five account holders. Four denied knowledge of the fraud. One confessed to withdrawing cash and handing it to a Nigerian man known as “Richard.”
That confession led to surveillance operations that identified Kingsley O. as the alleged mastermind. He was arrested alongside the five others in Esenyurt.
–Ongoing probe into wider network–
Authorities said the suspects are being questioned over the full scope of the operation and potential links to other fraud networks. No plea details were released after Thursday’s arraignment.
Romance scams, often called “Yahoo boy” schemes in Nigeria, have cost global victims billions annually. The FBI’s IC3 reported over $1.3 billion lost to romance fraud in 2024 alone. Turkish authorities say they are increasing cooperation with INTERPOL and Asian law enforcement to track cross-border cyber fraud rings.
Kingsley O. and the five co-suspects remain in custody pending further investigation.
