11.06.2026 18:10
The knot has been unraveled in the investigation concerning the defrauding of Hong Kong dentist Siu P.Y.F. of $2.5 million under the pretense of marriage. After Hong Kong police failed to achieve results, Turkish police, who did not give up on the file, apprehended Nigerian national Kingsley O., who introduced himself as an American businessman, and his five accomplices in Istanbul, referring them to the courthouse.
Hong Kong-based dentist Siu P.Y.F. lost $2.5 million over two years to a person she met online who introduced himself as 'American businessman Richard,' promising marriage. The Hong Kong police could not solve the case, but Turkish police uncovered it; the fake groom turned out to be Kingsley O., a Nigerian national living in Istanbul.
The latest victim of cyber fraud networks known globally as 'Romance Scam' was a Hong Kong dentist. In 2020, dentist Siu P.Y.F. started communicating with someone on a dating site who introduced himself as 'Richard,' a wealthy American businessman, and experienced the shock of her life.
LOVE THAT BEGAN ON THE PHONE SWALLOWED $2.5 MILLION
The couple, who only communicated by phone for years, decided to crown their relationship with marriage. During this process, the fake businessman told the young woman he had come to Istanbul and was making a large investment there, claiming he needed cash and asking for help. The dentist, dreaming of marriage, believed in her love and sent a total of $2.5 million (approximately 80 million TL) in parts to various bank accounts in Turkey between 2020 and 2022.
HONG KONG POLICE COULD NOT SOLVE IT, TURKISH POLICE STEPPED IN
Siu P.Y.F., unable to reach 'Richard' again after he vanished and turned off his phone upon receiving the money, realized she had been scammed and applied to Hong Kong police. However, since the investigation there yielded no results for a long time, the victim woman authorized a Turkish lawyer and brought her complaint to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.
BANK ACCOUNT TRACKING REVEALED THE FAKE GROOM
Teams from the Istanbul Police Department Public Order Branch Directorate Fraud Bureau scrutinized the bank accounts to which the money was sent. In the first operation, 5 suspects who owned accounts were detained. While 4 of the suspects claimed they did not remember the incident, 1 suspect confessed to handing over the money that came to the bank account to a Nigerian person he knew as 'Richard.'
Based on this confession, Turkish police deepened technical and physical surveillance and determined that the cyber fraudster, who marketed himself as a wealthy American businessman, was actually Kingsley O., a 43-year-old Nigerian national. Kingsley O. was caught red-handed in a raid and taken into custody.
DENIED ALLEGATIONS, REFERRED TO COURT
Kingsley O., a Nigerian brought to the Public Order Branch Directorate in Gayrettepe for questioning, did not accept the allegations against him. Cyber fraudster Kingsley O. and his 5 accomplices who helped him by using their bank accounts were referred to court under extensive security measures after their procedures at the police station were completed.