In a swift response to an investigative documentary released by OCCRP regarding a fraudulent online operation, Nigerian authorities apprehended a man suspected of being involved in the scheme. The arrest coincides with the emergence of another victim in Romania who claims to have fallen prey to the same scam.
The documentary detailing the operation, titled 'Exposed: Fake ‘Dubai Prince’ Tracked to Nigeria', brought to light the activities of Nzube Ikeji, 31, who was subsequently taken into custody. A representative from Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crime Commission noted that no formal charges have been laid against him yet.
Mr. Ikeji's arrest took place shortly after the documentary revealed how he allegedly posed as the real-life Crown Prince of Dubai, deceiving a Romanian businesswoman identified as Laura by convincing her to transfer a total of $2.5 million.
Following the public release of the documentary, another Romanian woman named Ana came forward to OCCRP's partner center, Context.ro. She presented documents suggesting that she was targeted by the same fraud, which had put Laura into financial distress.
Both women were initially approached on LinkedIn by an individual impersonating Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai. The impersonator claimed to represent a humanitarian initiative associated with the UAE royal family. Evidence submitted by Ana revealed that her interactions commenced in October 2022, while Laura was contacted a month later, with both women being offered a “vip humanitarian membership permit” for 7,748 UAE dirhams, a fee amounting to 1,850 euros ($2,112).
It is notable that romance scams often employ similar tactics, with fraudsters masquerading as the Crown Prince of Dubai to engage their victims in long- distance relationships, ultimately extracting large sums of money from them before their deceit is uncovered.
Both Laura and Ana received identical emails containing similar messages and fake membership cards, indicating they were victims of the same criminal organization. While Laura is the actual name of one victim, Ana has opted for a pseudonym to shield her identity due to the embarrassment associated with the scam.
Attempts to communicate with Mr. Ikeji for a statement regarding the new allegations have been unsuccessful; emails remained undeliverable, and his previous legal representatives have not responded to inquiries. On prior occasions, he has denied the allegations of scamming Laura and labeled the OCCRP documentary as a strategic effort to tarnish his image.
Ana revealed that the impersonator had invited her to apply for a position with the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI), a humanitarian organization founded by the actual Crown Prince's father. Similarly, Laura was manipulated by the fake prince into assisting MBRGI with investing millions in humanitarian projects in Romania.
Both opportunities were fabricated. They each paid the specified 1,850 euros for the “vip humanitarian membership permit” only to later receive messages indicating that while their cards had been granted, additional fees were required for activation. Ana subsequently sent 10,550 euros ($12,045), and Laura transferred 12,550 euros ($14,328).
The fraudster shifted their conversations to Skype and then WhatsApp, building relationships with both victims. Ana stated the impersonator expressed a desire to visit her in Romania but requested that she transfer 42,000 euros ($47,951) for travel expenses. Upon her reluctant refusal, the fake prince texted, “Now you’ve lost me and the 13,000 euros you have paid.”
Ana chose to halt her interactions at that point, while Laura became even more entangled in the deception, exchanging thousands of messages over two years and even meeting the impersonator's purported 'financial manager' in London to help set up a bank account.
This report was initially published by OCCRP, a partner of Premium Times, and is republished here with permission.
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