KISII man arrested over romance scam targeting gullible Americans - 800 victims lost money in the sophisticated fraud

Friday, October 30, 2026 - A Kenyan national from Kisii, identified as Nicodemus Hingima Monyancha, has been charged in the United States over his involvement in a sophisticated international cryptocurrency and romance fraud scheme targeting approximately 800 Americans.

On October 27, 2026, the US Department of Justice unsealed criminal complaints against Monyancha and five other suspects, accusing them of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

According to FBI, Monyancha operated from organised scam compounds in Antananarivo, Madagascar, as part of an international criminal network reportedly linked to Chinese transnational crime organisations.

Investigators say the suspects created fake profiles of attractive women on American dating websites and used them to lure unsuspecting victims into romantic relationships through WhatsApp.

After gaining the victims' trust, the scammers convinced them to invest in cryptocurrency, directing them to fraudulent cryptocurrency and NFT investment platforms.

Once victims connected their digital wallets to the platforms, hidden permissions allowed the fraudsters to secretly drain their funds.

Investigators further established that the fraudsters initially operated from Cambodia before relocating to Madagascar, where Monyancha and his accomplices continued running the scheme.

The Kenyan national and five co-accused now face serious federal fraud charges as US authorities pursue the international network behind the multimillion-dollar scam.

The Kenyan DAILY POST.