Two Nigerian men have been arrested in the southern island province of Thailand for suspected involvement in a romance scam.
Pol Col Akanit Danpitaksat, the Patong police chief, identified the two Nigerians as Nkemakolam Benson Ugonna, 21, and Osuchukwu Chukwuemeka Malachy, 19.
The arrest came after Patong police were asked by the Songkhla immigration police to track down suspects in a romance scam who posted profiles of good-looking men on Facebook to strike up conversations with women in search of foreign partners.
These women are deceived into believing they really existed, winning their trust. After a while, they exchanged names and addresses.
At this point, the scammers would tell the women they had some valuable items to send to them. They then trick the women into transferring money to them, Bangkok Post reports.
Police investigated and followed the two Nigerians, who were staying in Patong area. Security camera footage showed the two had frequently withdrawn money from ATM machines.
A subsequent check revealed that the two had overstayed their visas and might have been involved in the romance scam, leading to their arrests at a hotel in Patong area.
They were charged with overstaying their visas and suspected involvement in a romance scam.
