How 11 Nigerians fell in Thailand fraud sting

By Tolulope Oke

No fewer than 11 Nigerians have landed in serious trouble in Thailand after immigration and police officers busted a suspected international romance scam syndicate operating from a luxury condominium in the Muang Thong Thani area.

The arrests, carried out on Monday, were confirmed in a report by Thailand News on Thursday.

According to the report, the suspects were part of a 13-member fraud network allegedly involved in online romance scams that targeted Thai and foreign women.

Investigations reportedly began in late 2025 after a Thai woman filed a complaint, alleging that she was defrauded by a Facebook user she believed to be her romantic partner.

The suspect, who allegedly posed as a Chinese engineer identified as “Bingwen Fu,” was said to have built an emotional relationship with the victim before claiming he could not access funds for a construction project.

The woman reportedly transferred more than two million baht to accounts later identified by police as mule accounts linked to the syndicate.

Thai authorities said police traced the suspicious transactions, arrested Thai account holders, and uncovered the wider organised network behind the scam.

“The group operated from a condominium in Nonthaburi, with members assigned roles such as scammers, money withdrawers, and account recruiters,” the report said.

Acting on intelligence, the Immigration Bureau Commissioner, Pol Lt Gen Phanumas Boonyaluck, ordered a joint operation that led officers to the hideout, where suspects were allegedly caught conducting live romance scams on laptops and mobile phones.

A total of 13 suspects, 11 Nigerians and two Ivorians, were arrested during the raid. Some reportedly attempted to flee the apartment barefoot but were apprehended.

Authorities said eight of the suspects had overstayed their visas, while five Nigerians admitted to entering Thailand illegally through the Laos border.

During the operation, police seized 34 electronic devices, including computers and smartphones, said to contain evidence of coordinated online scams involving impersonation of wealthy European and Asian nationals.

Investigators also uncovered evidence linking the syndicate to the Nong Khai romance scam case and traced part of the proceeds to Nigeria through cryptocurrency transactions.

Police said investigations are ongoing to dismantle the wider network and identify more accomplices.