Romance Scam: How 80-yr-old American fell victim to Nigerian scammer in Ghana

In a tale of love, betrayal, and scam, Diana Nelson, an 80-year-old American citizen, fell victim to a romance scam plotted by Emmanuel Adeboye, a Nigerian impersonating Mark Hammon, a Hollywood actor.

Nelson met Adeboye on Facebook, where he identified as Mark Hammon. The duo became friends on the app, and slowly, Nelson began falling in love with him, unbeknownst to her that she was falling into a romance scam.

Blake Medina, Nelson’s son, realized this and warned her to desist from further communicating with him. She heeded her son’s advice for a while but continued communicating with him in June.

Adeboye then convinced Diana to board a flight to Ghana via Delta flight 156 from JFK to Kotoka on November 22. But before then, he had sent her the image of a fake $25,000 cheque to make her believe he was wealthy enough to finance their growing relationship.

That was not all. He also directed her to facilitate a reverse mortgage on her home in Crestline, California. She obtained $15,000 from this and used some of it to process a passport and facilitate her travel to the West African country.

Before embarking on the journey to Ghana, Adeboye had told her he would come pick her up at the Kotoka International Airport. Upon arrival, however, Nelson met Esther, Adeboye’s ally, at the airport.

Esther told her that she was instructed by Adeboye to chauffeur her to a ‘penthouse’ in Tema, near Accra, the capital of Ghana.

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Adeboye never showed up at the penthouse. Instead, he communicated with her via phone.

Nelson was also stripped of her phones, other gadgets, and cash.

Medina, Nelson’s son, who had no idea his mother had traveled, later realized her house was put up for sale online.

He went to check on her at home, and that was when he realized she had traveled to Ghana. He began communicating with her.

On December 2, she called Medina and requested to speak with someone else. During the call, Adeboye’s call came on the line. He was feigning a French accent.

He told Medina that his mom and her partner, Mark Harmon, had been detained in Ghana while attempting to go to Cape Town (South Africa) with undeclared gold and diamonds.

He also ordered him to sell her house, but Medina said it was impossible as he needed his mother’s presence to sign the paperwork.

Medina realized his mother was kidnapped and reported it to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, who in turn contacted the FBI.

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The FBI contacted the Ghana Police, and a plot was devised. Adeboye and his gang were baited with cash. Once Diana’s credit card was recharged, a network of security men trailed the cash movement at various ATMs.

The first withdrawal was made on December 11, and the network of security men swooped into ATMs in the immediate vicinity.

Adeboye and Esther were arrested in that operation. The police said they are working on nabbing the rest of the gang.