EP 27: Love, Bitcoin, and Lies: The Nigerian Romance Scam Indictment

In this gripping episode of *Behind the Scams*, hosts Nick and Sue Henley dive into the harrowing case of Nigerian national Charles Uchenna Nwadavid, charged with orchestrating a complex romance scam that exploited victims across the U.S. for over three years. Discover how one woman unknowingly became a "money mule," transferring over $2.5 million in scam proceeds, much of it in Bitcoin. With insights into the psychological tactics used by scammers and the challenges of tracing cryptocurrency, this episode reveals the devastating impact of love, trust, and deception in the digital age. Don’t miss it!

Chapters

• (00:00:00) - Behind the Scams: International Romance Scammer Indicted
• (00:01:24) - Behind the Scams
• (00:01:56) - Federal Scammer Arrested for Romance Scams
• (00:05:06) - These Fraudsters Used Money Mules to Commit Criminal Activity
• (00:06:21) - How Cryptocurrency Helped Prosecutors Catch Scammer
• (00:15:25) - The Scammers Using Digital Manipulation
• (00:18:43) - The Scammer Behind 900,000 Money
• (00:21:03) - The Scammer's Irrational Love Bomb
• (00:29:42) - Scammer Convicted of Scamming Hundreds of People
• (00:30:28) - Charles Uchenin Wadavid's Arrest in the US
• (00:39:49) - The Court's Decision on Detention for Right Romance Fraud Case
• (00:47:57) - The Nwatovid Court Case
• (00:54:36) - How to Strictly Detain Someone
• (00:58:37) - No Contact Orders for Felon
• (01:00:16) - Punishment and pretrial release in international fraud cases
• (01:03:08) - Behind The Scams: Charles Uchena Nwadavid