Three Nigerians, William Elvis, Moses Hezekiah, and Destiny Oghentega, have been charged in a United States federal court in Rhode Island over their alleged involvement in an online romance and wire fraud scheme.

According to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice obtained on Thursday, the suspects were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The alleged offences are said to have occurred through coordinated online impersonation targeting victims over several years.

Court documents indicate that the fraud scheme began around early 2021, involving multiple conspirators who posed as professionals working overseas. The suspects allegedly built online relationships with victims over time before requesting money under false pretences.

Victims, including an elderly resident of Rhode Island, were reportedly convinced to send funds after being deceived with claims of financial hardship, legal troubles, and medical emergencies.

The statement noted that victims were instructed to transfer money through various channels, including gift cards, Bitcoin transactions, and bank accounts controlled by individuals linked to the scheme.

Investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reportedly revealed that stolen identities were used without the knowledge of the real owners, and financial transactions were traced back to the defendants in Nigeria.

Prosecutors also stated that victims lost substantial sums of money over the course of the operation.

However, authorities stressed that the charges remain allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.

The development adds to a growing list of cybercrime-related prosecutions involving Nigerians abroad. In a related case earlier reported, another Nigerian based in the United States, Ifeanyi Ugwu, pleaded guilty to operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business involving over $5 million in illicit funds.