BOSTON (WWLP) – A man from Nigeria pleaded guilty in Boston federal court in connection with online fraud schemes after being extradited from the United Kingdom.

According to the Justice Department in Boston 30-year-old Happy Chukwuma pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy. He was arrested and detained in the United Kingdom at the request of the United States in September 2022 and extradited to the United States in March 2023. 

There were several victims in Massachusetts whose personal information was compromised in a variety of online fraud schemes, including “phishing” and romance scams that Chukwuma and his co-conspirators participated in between November 2015 and January 2019.

Dating apps and websites continue to be a popular way to connect with people looking for a relationship, but they’re also places where scammers look for victims. Thieves create fake profiles and lure potential victims in by building trust. Then they start asking for money for things like plane tickets to come visit, or to help pay bills, or pay for medical treatment, or ask you to cash a check and send them the money. After they get what they want, or if you stop sending money, they disappear.

Chukwuma is scheduled for sentencing on May 5th and could face up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.