Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Hello and welcome to behind the Scams, the podcast that dives into the world of frauds and scams. The stories we cover are real cases ripped from the headlines and drawn from official court documents and press releases.
If you think you could never be scammed, think again.
[00:00:21] Speaker B: Wow. Thank you to our announcer, Miles. Fantastic new intro, and you sound great. Wanted to say welcome. Since this is your first podcast introduction for us with that voice, I might just have you take over the whole podcast.
[00:00:37] Speaker A: Well, thank you, Nick, for the nice welcome. I appreciate it.
I would love to step in once in a while. I love to talk.
[00:00:45] Speaker B: Miles, has anyone ever told you that you sound like one of my favorite singers, Barry White?
[00:00:50] Speaker A: No, not in the last hour or so.
Has anyone ever told you, Nick, that you're the first, the last, my everything?
[00:01:02] Speaker B: Well, now that you mention it, Miles, only you and Barry White back in the 70s has ever told me that. But thanks for reminding me. For you non Barry White fans, Miles just cleverly quoted a line from Barry White's number one hit from 1974.
Good job, Miles.
[00:01:23] Speaker A: Thanks, Nick. And thanks for the opportunity to let me crowbar a Barry White reference in there. I appreciate it. Take care and have a great show.
[00:01:34] Speaker B: Thanks, Miles. It is definitely time to get to our show. Hello, and welcome to another thrilling episode of behind the Scams, the show where we dive into the wild world of deception with a sprinkle of some bad humor. I'm your host, Nick, the guy who still believes his gym membership is a scam because he never sees any results. And yes, that was known as what is commonly referred to as a dad joke. And joining me is sue, my co host, my wife, and a woman who is virtually a human scam radar. She's cracked dozens of romance scams wide open, and she can see one coming from a mile away. But she still gets suspicious when I bring her flowers for no reason.
[00:02:19] Speaker C: Hello and welcome back, everyone. And Nick, that's officially two dad jokes to start this podcast. I bet the listeners can hear me rolling my eyes. Anyways, let's get down to business here. From what our producer tells me, we've got another juicy, true romance scam story to cover.
[00:02:38] Speaker B: That's right, Sue. Yet another romance scam story to tell. Now, is it me, or are there just way too many of these romance scam stories around? Sue, I get emails through our nonprofit website, stampoutscams.org from actual romance scam victims seeking advice or some form of redemption. Then I look online and I see even more stories about romance scams. It truly has become an epidemic in the world of scams. But hopefully us telling these stories and exposing the tactics scammers use will help others avoid becoming a victim.
[00:03:19] Speaker C: Absolutely. I really hope so, Nick. But today's romance scam story is another ripped from the headlines tale, right?
[00:03:26] Speaker B: That's right, Sue. Today's episode covers the unsettling and heartbreaking case involving Nelly Idaewu and her three co conspirators and Emmanuel Adesotu, Julius Frederick and Nnamdi Chukwu. Now the heartbreaking part is not that these losers got caught, but the amount of victims involved and the massive dollars losses they incurred. Only one word to describe those losses, and that is staggering.
[00:03:55] Speaker C: Wow. I can't wait to dig in. But before we do, Nick, can I just say what a fantastic job you do pronouncing those Nigerian names? You have really been doing your language homework. Kudos. But Miles could probably do a much better job at it. I'm just saying. Oh, and I love having Miles help us out. He has got quite the voice.
[00:04:18] Speaker B: Well, thanks for the compliment for both Miles and myself. Of course, we will definitely take it. But back to our story. Together, these scammers swindled over $6 million through elaborate romance schemes that spanned multiple years and impacted dozens of innocent people.
[00:04:40] Speaker C: $6 million? That's insane. To put it into context, romance scams aren't your typical fraud schemes. They're especially devastating because they exploit the most fundamental human emotions. Trust, companionship and love.
[00:04:56] Speaker B: You're 100% right, Sue. Romance scams are a particularly hideous type of fraud that inflicts both emotional and financial harm on victims. These scams often prey on individuals seeking companionship, exploiting their trust and vulnerability. This is why I like to cover these stories. By sharing them, we can raise awareness and help others recognize the warning signs. Learning from these experiences can empower people to protect themselves and their loved ones from falling victim to such deceitful schemes.
[00:05:32] Speaker C: Nick, these are real life stories, right?
[00:05:34] Speaker B: Yes, they are, Sue.
[00:05:36] Speaker C: So tell our listeners where you get these stories.
[00:05:38] Speaker B: Well, to steal a TV slogan, these stories are ripped from the headlines.
[00:05:42] Speaker C: So you get the stories from online news stories and press releases?
[00:05:46] Speaker B: Yes, they start there. But I take a deeper dive by obtaining the official court documents. So such as indictments, plea agreements, sentencings, etc.
[00:05:56] Speaker C: So Nick, why do you do this?
[00:05:58] Speaker B: Having been in federal law enforcement as a special agent investigating financial crimes, I know the important information these documents have in them.
So these stories suddenly become much more than what is simply printed in the headlines or told on the TV news. The stories start to come alive with all the facts and circumstances behind them. I just don't know of too many better sources than the real court documents, such as plea agreements, indictments, etc.
[00:06:35] Speaker C: Okay, Nick, we appreciate you taking this deep dive. It really does help us learn how these guys operate and what their tactics are. So from what you told me about this romance scale scam ring, it sounds fascinating. Where did this.
Where did this all go down, Sue?
[00:06:52] Speaker B: So, according to this indictment, it's the United States District Court District of Utah, Central Division. Right. And it was filed back on August 26, 2020. So I guess it's been a while. But it. It sounds like a crazy story and I feel like our behind the scams listeners could really benefit from hearing it.
[00:07:15] Speaker C: Oh, Central Division of Utah. That's interesting. So who were the main players in this? Oh, in this whole drama.
[00:07:22] Speaker B: Right. So the defendants were Emmanuel Osegbovo Adesotu, Julius Omena Frederick Nelly Idowu, and Nnamdi Joel Chukwu. Let's just say I don't think this group were native Utah citizens.
[00:07:37] Speaker C: Wow, that's quite a lineup. Yeah, I think you're right. Those names don't sound. Sound like local Utah family names. What were they charged with?
[00:07:45] Speaker B: So, sue, they were charged with conspiracy to launder money and money laundering. Specific charges included 18 USC section 1956 H for conspiracy and counts 2 through 10 were 18 USC section 1957 for money laundering. So pretty serious stuff, you know, with very severe penalties.
[00:08:09] Speaker C: Absolutely, Nick, absolutely. So what exactly were they doing? Give us the juicy details.
[00:08:16] Speaker B: Okay, so according to the indictment, Adisotu was the registered agent and manager of PEA Network Technology llc. Right. Supposedly this company was formed from for buying and selling computers, providing technical support, that kind of stuff, you know, general contractors.
[00:08:40] Speaker C: Uh huh. Sounds legit on the surface, but what's the catch, Nick?
[00:08:43] Speaker B: Right. The thing is, Sue Adeso registered this PA network back in October 2018, you know, in Provo, Utah. And he had sole signatory authority on a bunch of personal and business bank accounts. You know, a bunch of different ones.
[00:09:02] Speaker C: Multiple accounts, huh? That's always a red flag. Who else was involved?
[00:09:06] Speaker B: Right, so Frederick also had sole signatory authority on a bunch of bank accounts. And then there's Idowu, who was the registered agent and director of Roxy Multi Services llc. Supposedly for design consulting, food catering, you know, corporate home cleaning, that kind of stuff.
[00:09:30] Speaker C: Okay, so we've got a network of companies and multiple bank accounts. How does this all tie into the romance scam?
[00:09:38] Speaker B: Right, so There was also Chukwu, Right? He was the registered agent and manager of NJ Klem's LLC, a business in Orem, Utah. Right. The LLC was registered in February 2019. However, the registration provided no specified business purpose and was very vague in their legal filings.
[00:10:00] Speaker C: Unspecified business purpose. Sketchy, Nick. Very sketchy.
[00:10:05] Speaker B: Yeah, I know. Right, so the indictment says that these defendants conspired with each other and. And others to use fake profiles on social media. Right. To befriend potential victims on the Internet and use false pretenses to entice them and pressure them to send money.
[00:10:25] Speaker C: Oh, the classic catfishing scheme. Heartbreaking.
[00:10:28] Speaker B: Exactly. So they'd engage in a series of transactions to. To spend that money and. And relay it through multiple accounts to send it overseas.
[00:10:40] Speaker C: And who were their targets? I bet I know.
[00:10:42] Speaker B: Right, so according to the indictment, the. The primary targets were widowed women, right, over the age of 65. So, like, really vulnerable individuals. Exactly. The type of individuals scammers prey on regularly.
[00:10:59] Speaker C: That's just awful, Nick. Preying on vulnerable older women. It makes my blood boil.
[00:11:04] Speaker B: Yeah, I know, Sue. I feel the same way. So the typical scam, the perpetrators would create a fake online personality on, like, social media, gaming, dating websites, you know, befriend the woman, convince her that the fake Persona had some urgent need.
[00:11:23] Speaker C: What kind of sob stories were they spinning?
[00:11:25] Speaker B: Right, so it could be like needing to repair offshore oil rig equipment or feed co workers, help a family member with emergency medical costs, or even, like, help a US Military member stranded overseas. Right, or. Or purchase some significant asset, you know, investment opportunity, that kind of stuff.
[00:11:49] Speaker C: Oh, it's always an emergency. The heartstrings are pulled as hard as they can be. They really know how to manipulate people.
[00:11:57] Speaker B: Yeah, these guys really use tactics straight out of the scammer playbook. But you have to know why they continue to use the same old cliched tactics. Tactics? Simply put, because they work.
So after presenting that false financial need, they would ask the victims to send money for these false purposes.
[00:12:18] Speaker C: And of course, they provided the victims with the defendant's bank account information. Right?
[00:12:23] Speaker B: Exactly. Right. And the victims would wire the money through their bank and use wire remittance providers, deposit cash, checks, etc, and then once the defendants got the money, they would transfer it to each other to accounts overseas, withdraw cash, or use the money for personal consumption.
[00:12:45] Speaker C: Personal consumption. Luxury goods, I bet. What a despicable way to make a living.
[00:12:49] Speaker B: Yeah. So according to the indictment, they defrauded dozens of victims out of millions of dollars, and then they laundered it through accounts under the defendant's court control.
[00:13:00] Speaker C: Millions of dollars? That's just mindboggling. Nick, can you give me. Can you give me some specific examples of how they did this?
[00:13:10] Speaker B: Yeah. So there was this one victim, pd. Now, in indictments, the government will often use initials for victims in order to protect their identity. So we'll hear numerous individuals or victims referred to with initials. Anyways, they were contacted on Facebook using this profile called Christian Williams. The guy claimed to be a contractor on an offshore oil rig in the North Sea, you know, and the photos were altered images of some Italian soccer coach.
[00:13:44] Speaker C: Oh, I've seen those before. Oh, my God. A classic move. So what did Christian Williams want from pd?
[00:13:51] Speaker B: Right, so he claimed that the offshore oil rig was going to generate $10 million in profit, and he just needed PD to loan him money to buy equipment and pay expenses. Right, so the defendants convinced PD to send cash, wires, gift cards, checks, all that stuff, totaling like over $360,000.
[00:14:17] Speaker C: 360,000? Oh, wow, that's a life changing amount of money.
[00:14:22] Speaker B: Yeah. And. And it was sent to 24 different beneficiaries from April 2017 to December 2018. And that included Adeso and Frederick, into whose accounts PD directed like at least three checks.
[00:14:38] Speaker C: So they're just spreading the wealth around to each other. Disgusting.
[00:14:43] Speaker B: Right, and PD made cash and check deposits into Frederick's account from her local Wells Fargo branch in Oregon. And the defendants wired some of that money to Nigeria, withdrew cash, and of course, used it for personal expenses.
[00:15:01] Speaker C: So the money is going everywhere to all the co conspirators. What was another scam?
[00:15:08] Speaker B: So another one. They befriended RM through an online dating site named Christian Mingle. The profile was Bill Newman. The guy claimed he owned this company, Biz Tech Engineering Services, and they had won some contract in Cyprus.
[00:15:26] Speaker C: Good for RM for waking up. So how did they get caught?
[00:15:30] Speaker B: Well, took time, obviously, but. But I think that the consistent patterns across the different victims and the amounts and the way they were transferring money all contributed to law enforcement eventually catching on.
[00:15:46] Speaker C: Right, and let's be clear, this wasn't a one off. These guys were running an operation.
[00:15:52] Speaker B: Right? So there's like another one. The defendants befriended J.S. through the dating site Senior Match, using the profile Brent Jason Chandler.
[00:16:02] Speaker C: Another profile in another dating site. Oh, my gosh.
[00:16:05] Speaker B: I know. Crazy, right?
So Chandler claimed to be an arts and antiquities dealer, right, for his supposedly successful business. And he said he traveled the world, you know, for his business. So to convince JS that Chandler and and his gallery were real they provided a web address for a stolen website, a copy of a stolen passport, photos, you know, showing a bank account balance of over 2.7 billion. I guess they figured might as well go big theatrics.
[00:16:40] Speaker C: The whole thing is one big show.
[00:16:41] Speaker B: Right again, Sue. From February to July 2019, they got JS to send them approximately a million dollars.
[00:16:48] Speaker C: A million dollars? Are you serious, Nick? Oh, my God, yes.
[00:16:52] Speaker B: And it went to a accounts for Adisotu and Chukwu and Ido. And then they transferred it to various associates and wired it to accounts in Nigeria and China.
[00:17:02] Speaker C: Oh, Nigeria and China. That's where the trail goes cold. And that's how they laundered it.
[00:17:08] Speaker B: Exactly. And then used it for luxury goods, cash withdrawals, personal expenses. You know, the fun stuff. Why send it home to help your family or friends? It's much more fun to blow it on cars and jewelry.
[00:17:23] Speaker C: Did they ever catch up with JS to find out if JS got any of the money back? Did they catch them red handed? What's the real story there?
[00:17:32] Speaker B: Good question, Sue. So it doesn't really get into all of that in the indictment, but there was another victim, doctor.
They befriended her through the dating site our time.com using the same profile. Brent. Jason Chandler.
[00:17:48] Speaker C: Yet another dating site. So they are using the same profile. How bad is that profile? That is a scam in itself.
[00:17:54] Speaker B: So Chandler claimed he was traveling to Monaco and needed money to buy antiquities. Right. And he wanted Dr. To be a partner in the business. So as a result, in March 2019, the defendants got Dr. To send them approximately $150,000 in wire transfers and cashier's checks.
[00:18:17] Speaker C: What? All of this is to show off to other women? I can't believe this is real. Oh my God.
[00:18:22] Speaker B: Well, sue, including $127,000 wire to China and then nineteen thousand dollar wire transferred to Idawu. And then, you know, they transferred the funds to other associates through wire remittance services for jewelry and personal experience expenses.
[00:18:41] Speaker C: So Nick, were they all using the same accounts to do these things?
[00:18:45] Speaker B: Yep, that's right. But it gets even crazier. So they befriended BM, an 82 year old widow, through Google Games posing as Patrick Hawkins. And the conversations moved to text messages and became flirtatious. Right, With Hawkins claiming he worked in Scotland on a lucrative contract to build barges for an oil company.
[00:19:08] Speaker C: Oh wow. Scotland. Scotland is very romantic. They don't waste their time with non exotic locations like Bakersfield, California or something similar. They take it to the extreme. By the way, listeners in Bakersfield, we Tease you because we love you.
[00:19:25] Speaker B: Yes. Nothing but the best for these guys. So Hawkins claimed he needed funds to repair and replace a welding machine. For the this contract at Hawkins direction, BF sent five thousand dollar cash to Frederick at a Provo, Utah address on or about July 31, 2018, and mailed a $27,000 cashier's check to Frederick at the same address on Aug. 13, 2018.
Frederick then used accounts at financial institutions to deposit, you know, wiring funds to Nigeria, all that stuff.
[00:20:02] Speaker C: So, silly question, Nick. Does all the money go through Nigeria?
[00:20:05] Speaker B: Yes, it does. Right. Back to the mothership? I guess so. Using the name Mark Jackson, the defendants contacted CW through the game Words with Friends. In April 2018, Jackson took immediate romantic interest in CW. Right. And claimed to be a patrol petroleum engineer on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. And then said he'd be rich and. And he and CW would live a happy life in Seattle. Right.
[00:20:34] Speaker C: Oh, wow. Seattle is a place to retire and chill.
[00:20:38] Speaker B: Seattle and Chill actually work together. Well, so anyways, in November 2018, Jackson asked CW to loan him $11,500 for a valve replacement for his oil rig. Pursuant to Jackson's instructions, CW sent a cashier's check for the full amount.
[00:20:58] Speaker C: Oh, wow. It starts small, right? And then it keeps growing. Oh, Nick, what is wrong with people?
[00:21:05] Speaker B: I know, right? So, defendants also posed as Philip Martinez, Charles Mendelsohn and Mike Bell online and contacted JC And Martinez feigned romantic interest in JC and claimed to work on an oil rig in Canada and then requested money for broken oil rig equipment, medical emergencies.
[00:21:28] Speaker C: You would think they could have gotten more creative.
[00:21:30] Speaker B: I know, but like I said previously, if the tried and true old storyline is working, why change it? So, from August 2018 to June 2019, JC sent approximately a hundred thousand dollars to various addresses and bank accounts, including a $10,000 wire to Adeso to on November 16, 2018.
[00:21:54] Speaker C: So did these guys ever hold real jobs in their lives?
[00:21:57] Speaker B: Well, what do you think, Sue? My guess is no. But the indictment, it doesn't really say anything about their backgrounds. You know, but it. It seems like they were fully committed to this. This scam.
[00:22:09] Speaker C: Committed? They were addicted.
[00:22:10] Speaker B: Well, just when you thought it was over, there was another one. They posed as Derek Samuel Johnson on Instagram in June 2018. And he claimed to be from Dallas. Right. And a widowed military sharpshooter. And overseas. And he asked CP to contact his captain and send money so he could be released from the military.
[00:22:34] Speaker C: You said Dallas. Right. Did they use that Texas charm?
[00:22:36] Speaker B: They sure Did. So Johnson claimed to have money in his bank account but couldn't access it from his location. And he also claimed to have killed and stolen money from terrorists. And he was sending CP in a safe. So CP wired approximately $90,000 for expenses related to Johnson's extraction from the military, including a fifteen thousand dollar wire to add a so to. Right.
[00:23:04] Speaker C: Oh, Nick, you have to be more careful with what you read online. It's crazy to me.
[00:23:09] Speaker B: You really do, Sue. Information is key to avoiding these types of scams. That's why we tell stories like this. So then they posed as Adam eddie and befriended VRM. And Eddie requested that VRM send him money for various emergencies. And VRM sent 16 wires totaling $330,000. And at least $30,000 was wired to Adesodu's account. And then VRM was diagnosed with a terminal illness and died.
[00:23:41] Speaker C: Wow, they just took everything.
[00:23:43] Speaker B: So there's also the guy posing as Raymond Brando. Brando claimed to be a civilian doctor from Philadelphia working at a US Military military hospital in Kuwait. And Brando claimed he needed EG's assistance to purchase medicine for soldiers. And EG sent approximately $460,000. Right.
[00:24:03] Speaker C: So awful. So what ultimately happened to these guys? Did they get away with it?
[00:24:07] Speaker B: So, Sue, I did a little bit of digging, right? I wanted to know the same thing. What happened to these losers? Well, I actually found a press Release from the U.S. attorney's Office, District of Utah from January 30, 2024. This press release had the answers I was looking for.
[00:24:27] Speaker C: Ah, you did the digging. I knew you would.
[00:24:29] Speaker B: I know. I guess I am now officially what you call an Internet sleuth. So this press release says that Nelly Ida Wu was sentenced to six years imprisonment followed by three years supervised resources release. She was found guilty of one count of money laundering conspiracy and two counts of money laundering in this romance scam.
[00:24:53] Speaker C: Yes, justice served. What about the others?
[00:24:56] Speaker B: So Adesotu was sentenced to 36 months imprisonment. Frederick got 46 months and Chukwu got 12 months.
[00:25:03] Speaker C: A year for Chukwu is not enough.
[00:25:05] Speaker B: I totally agree. And the court ordered each defendant to pay over 6.4 million in restitution jointly for the victims. Right.
[00:25:14] Speaker C: It's not the same as getting their lives back, but at least there's some financial compensation. I hope they can recover some money back.
[00:25:22] Speaker B: At least I hope so too. But it is highly unlikely.
[00:25:25] Speaker C: That makes a sad story even sadder.
[00:25:27] Speaker B: The U. S. Attorney who prosecuted this case said that they preyed on unsuspecting and vulnerable victims gained their trust, convinced that to send large sums of money leaving them in financial despair and that they're going to keep prosecuting these scams.
[00:25:45] Speaker C: Good. I hope this sends a message. And it just goes to show, like, you really need to be careful out there online. You just never know who's on the other side of that screen.
[00:25:55] Speaker B: The FBI encourages people to review information about romance scams on their website FBI.gov you can also go to our website at stampoutscams.org we cover romance scam tactics and stories all the time.
[00:26:11] Speaker C: And if you think you've been a victim of elder fraud, there's help available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline, right?
[00:26:18] Speaker B: That's right. They can be reached at 1-833-FRAUD 11.
[00:26:22] Speaker C: Yeah, Nick, that was a crazy story. I mean, honestly, I just. The audacity of these people people is absolutely mind blowing. I can't believe they went to such lengths and were so cruel to these victims.
[00:26:36] Speaker B: They really were. But unfortunately, sue, romance scams are so lucrative with plenty of potential victims waiting on dating sites all over the world that they are becoming way, way too common.
[00:26:49] Speaker C: I know, right? And it's like really important for our listeners to really be aware of these kinds of scams and always verify who they're talking to online before sending any money. In fact, you shouldn't be sending money to anyone you met online. There is really just no need to do it. So just say no or even better, just hang up.
[00:27:13] Speaker B: Absolutely right, Sue. There really isn't any need to send anyone you just met money. So just don't do it. Well, folks, that wraps up another episode of behind the Scams. I'm Nick reminding you that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Just like my dream of becoming a professional napper. Stay alert and keep your wallet safe. Bye for now.
[00:27:37] Speaker C: Wow, Nick, one last dad joke before we close. Just couldn't resist yourself. And I'm sue signing off with a reminder that love might be blind, but it shouldn't be broke. Thanks for tuning in and remember to join us next time for more tales of trickery. Bye for now.
