Nigerian socialite accused of posing as Dubai Prince in $2.5M romance scam 

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.

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,

OCCRP reported that the emotional bond played a key role in building trust and convincing the victim of the legitimacy of the proposed investment.

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.

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.

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.

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