Nigerian man arrested in Istanbul for posing as wealthy American businessman and defrauding Hong Kong dentist of $2.5 million on pretext of marriage

A Nigerian man has been arrested in Istanbul, Turkey for allegedly defrauding a Hong Kong dentist of $2.5 million dollars under the pretence of marriage. 

The Nigerian identified as Kingsley O, who introduced himself as as a wealthy American businessman, was arrested in Esenyurt alongside his five accomplices and arraigned in court on on Thursday, June 11, 2026.

The Hong Kong dentist, Siu P.Y.F. lost $2.5 million over two years to a person she met online who introduced himself as ‘American businessman Richard,’ promising marriage. 

The Hong Kong police could not solve the case, but Turkish police uncovered it and the fake groom turned out to be Kingsley, who lives in Istanbul.

In 2020, dentist Siu P.Y.F. started communicating with someone on a dating site who introduced himself as ‘Richard,’ a wealthy American businessman.

The couple, who only communicated by phone for years, decided to crown their relationship with marriage. 

During this process, the fake businessman told the young woman he had come to Istanbul and was making a large investment there, claiming he needed cash and asking for help. 

The dentist, dreaming of marriage, believed in her love and sent a total of $2.5 million in parts to various bank accounts in Turkey between 2020 and 2022.

Siu was unable to reach ‘Richard’ again after he vanished and turned off his phone upon receiving the money.

She realized she had been scammed and applied to Hong Kong police. 

However, since the investigation there yielded no results for a long time, the victim woman authorized a Turkish lawyer and brought her complaint to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.

Teams from the Istanbul Police Department Public Order Branch Directorate Fraud Bureau scrutinized the bank accounts to which the money was sent. 

In the first operation, 5 suspects who owned accounts were detained. 

While 4 of the suspects claimed they did not remember the incident, 1 suspect confessed to handing over the money that came to the bank account to a Nigerian person he knew as ‘Richard.

Based on this confession, Turkish police deepened technical and physical surveillance and determined that the cyber fraudster, who marketed himself as a wealthy American businessman, was actually Kingsley O., a 43-year-old Nigerian national. 

Kingsley O. was caught red-handed in a raid and taken into custody.

Kingsley, who was brought to the Public Order Branch Directorate in Gayrettepe for questioning, did not accept the allegations against him. 

The Nigerian and his accomplices who helped him by using their bank accounts were referred to court under extensive security measures after their procedures at the police station were completed.