Kenyan charged over cryptocurrency scam targeting 800 Americans
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Tuko
The FBI has identified Nicodemus Hingima Monyancha, a Kenyan national charged in the United States over his alleged role in a scam combining romance fraud and cryptocurrency investments. The network is said to have targeted around 800 Americans and operated from scam compounds in Antananarivo, Madagascar, according to US authorities.
Investigators accuse the network of using fake female profiles on dating platforms to build relationships and persuade victims to invest. The funds were allegedly diverted through around 74 cryptocurrency wallets. An FBI affidavit estimates that at least 516,695 dollars was stolen in 127 transactions linked to those wallets.
According to the authorities, Monyancha operated from scam compounds in Antananarivo, Madagascar. The network is said to have established itself there in early 2025 after leaving Cambodia, where law enforcement measures had disrupted its activities. In August 2026, FBI agents assisted Malagasy police in raids: 13 sites were dismantled and more than 3,200 electronic devices seized.
The documents recovered included staff lists and training materials which, investigators say, were intended to teach employees how to manipulate victims. Some allegedly worked night shifts to match US time zones, and their bonuses reportedly depended on the amounts extorted. Monyancha is being prosecuted alongside five co-defendants, including Malaysian national Chui Kok Wa, described by investigators as the alleged head of the network.
