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

The Romance Scam That Crossed Borders and Broke Hearts

In this episode of Behind the Scams, hosts Nick and Sue Henley unravel one of the most intricate federal indictments in recent romance scam history — the U.S. government’s case against Nigerian national Charles Uchenna Nwadavid. Charged with mail fraud and money laundering in the District of Massachusetts, Nwadavid’s scheme weaponized love, trust, and cryptocurrency in a calculated campaign that exploited multiple victims over three years.

The story isn’t just about romance and deception — it’s about how emotionally and financially devastating these scams can become, especially when victims are manipulated into unknowingly participating in criminal financial activity themselves.

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Victims Turned Money Mules: The Double Exploitation in this Nigerian Romance Scam Indictment

At the heart of this case is “Victim 1,” a woman who believed she was in a long-distance relationship with a man named “Williams Moore.” Instead, she became both emotionally drained and financially exploited, eventually handling and transferring more than \$2.5 million in scam proceeds — much of it in Bitcoin. What she didn’t realize? That money came from other romance scam victims like her.

The indictment shows how Victim 1 was manipulated into becoming an unknowing “money mule,” a tragic figure used to help launder stolen funds from at least five other victims, each conned with different aliases, stories, and emotional hooks.

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Cryptocurrency & Obfuscation: A Modern Twist

Nwadavid’s alleged use of cryptocurrency exchanges like Bitcoin of America and peer-to-peer platforms such as LocalBitcoins made it difficult for investigators to trace funds. Yet, a digital trail eventually emerged — one that linked access to scam-related accounts with IP addresses and even email addresses used on U.S. visa applications.

Nick, drawing on his 25-year background in federal law enforcement, provides crucial insight into how crypto complicates investigations, and why these tools are now at the center of financial fraud worldwide.

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Psychology of a Scam: Love Bombing, Isolation, and Future Faking

Sue and Nick break down the psychological tactics behind romance scams, from love bombing and emotional dependency to “future faking” and strategic isolation. Victims were made to feel essential, wanted, and central to a future life with their scammer — all while being exploited to fund that illusion.

Whether it was oil rig injuries, overseas inheritances, or fake hospital bills, the lies followed a pattern — urgent, emotional, and strategic.

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Who Are the Victims? A Nationwide Web of Deceit

Victims in this case came from all over the United States: Massachusetts, New Jersey, Florida, and Kansas. Each believed they we...

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) - Punishme