6 accused scammers in Africa charged after dating scheme drained Americans’ crypto wallets

WASHINGTON (7News) — Six Africa-based scammers have been charged with faking romantic relationships to trick Americans into linking their crypto wallets to bogus sites, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced Tuesday.

The scammers allegedly posed as women on dating sites and social apps, built trust with victims and then steered them to fake crypto investment websites. Once victims connected their wallets, the scammers allegedly drained the funds without their knowledge.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announces charges against six people accused of running a cryptocurrency investment scam targeting Americans during a news conference in Washington on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026. (7News)

Investigators identified about 74 crypto wallets linked to victims in Maryland, Oregon, Nevada and Minnesota. The stolen money was moved to accounts tied to China-based actors, prosecutors said. The group allegedly set up scam compounds in Madagascar after moving operations from Cambodia.

“These cases devastate the victims financially, and they devastate them emotionally because the victim feels that not only have they lost everything, but they feel ashamed,” Pirro said.

SEE ALSO | ‘Conveyor belt of weapons’: Pirro announces major gun trafficking crackdown tied to DC

One defendant, Chui Kok Wa, is accused of leading the scheme. Prosecutors say his phones contained scripts telling workers to use victims’ feelings to get them to invest, as well as employment records showing bonuses tied to the money stolen.

The U.S. has asked Madagascar to extradite the six defendants. Pirro’s office also obtained warrants to interview 15 alleged employees who say they were trafficked and abused; officials believe they are being held in jail in Madagascar.

READ | 2 suspects arrested months after 2 boys killed in Northeast DC shooting

Pirro said the Scam Center Strike Force has restrained more than $1 billion in cryptocurrency tied to fraud and seized more than 700 fraudulent investment websites.

She urged people to be cautious, saying, “Never connect your cryptocurrency wallet to a website recommended by someone that you met online.”