A Nigerian socialite, identified as Nzube Henry Ikeji, has been accused of impersonating the Crown Prince of Dubai in an elaborate romance and investment fraud scheme that allegedly cost a Romanian businesswoman more than $2.5 million.
The allegations were detailed in a recent investigation by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).
According to the report, the alleged scheme began roughly three years ago when the victim, identified only as Laura, was contacted on LinkedIn by an account claiming to belong to the Dubai Crown Prince.
What they are saying
The individual reportedly expressed interest in investing in a humanitarian project in Romania and presented himself as a powerful royal seeking a trusted local partner. In an excerpt of the documentary on Youtube as posted by OCCRP, it reads,
- ‘When a successful Romanian businesswoman received a LinkedIn message from someone claiming to be Dubai’s Crown Prince, she thought she was being recruited for a humanitarian investment.
- ‘Instead, she became the victim of an elaborate romance scam that would cost her over $2.5 million. The scammer thought he was untouchable. He was wrong.
- ‘After his own partners leaked critical information, OCCRP traced the fake prince right to his doorstep at a newly purchased mansion in Abuja, Nigeria.’
OCCRP reported that the emotional bond played a key role in building trust and convincing the victim of the legitimacy of the proposed investment.
How the scam unfolded
As part of the arrangement, Laura was allegedly asked to meet the supposed royal’s “financial manager” in London to help set up a British bank account. During one of these meetings, a business partner accompanying Laura took a photograph of the man introduced as the financial manager. She was later given login credentials to a bank account that appeared to show a balance exceeding £200,000.
- However, the investigation found that the account was cloned and the funds were not real. When Laura attempted to withdraw part of the money, she reportedly received an email stating that a significant fee was required before any transfer could be processed. Believing the transaction was genuine, Laura went on to transfer more than $2.5 million over time.
- Doubts reportedly emerged after repeated payment requests and delays. The situation escalated when disputes allegedly broke out among the perpetrators over how to share the proceeds. According to OCCRP, two of the alleged accomplices later contacted Laura directly, revealing details of the scheme and identifying the fake Dubai Crown Prince as Nzube Henry Ikeji.
- After realising she had been defrauded, Laura sought help from UK authorities, providing the photograph taken during the London meeting.
UK police reportedly identified the alleged financial manager as Martins Abhulimhen, who was said to be under investigation over suspicious funds believed to be linked to Laura’s money. Investigators said some of the funds were transferred from a UK account to an account in Nigeria alegedly associated with Ikeji.
OCCRP journalists later travelled to Abuja to track the suspect, relying on social media posts. When approached by a journalist at a residence in Abuja, Ikeji reportedly denied knowing the Romanian woman and declined to answer further questions, directing inquiries to his lawyer.
What you should know
The allegations against Nzube Henry Ikeji come amid heightened scrutiny of cross-border romance and crypto-investment scams involving Nigerian nationals.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has since widened its probe into a broader crypto romance scam ring believed to have caused losses of up to $5 million. Federal prosecutors in North Carolina are also seeking to seize nearly $4.99 million recovered from suspicious Tether wallets linked to the schemes.
