When women were seeking romantic relationships online, Frank Ebhoramen saw an opportunity to scam them off their money and valuable items using a false name.
According to Royal Investigations, a private investigations business, media spokesperson, John Alexander, Ebhoramen disguised himself as a Lebanese national named ‘Howard Gibson Wayne’ and thereafter used photos of a renowned motivational speaker, Jean Nadeau in Quebec to lure his targets into his traps.
The private investigation company in partnership with the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation in Pretoria, then executed an intelligence-driven operation aimed at apprehending the alleged prolific ‘Nigerian romance scammer’.
“This individual had been under our surveillance for targeting elderly females in fraudulent schemes. The perpetrator had deceitfully claimed ownership of property in the affluent Camps Bay area and purported to be a highly successful engineer engaged in multi-million-dollar construction projects for the City of Cape Town. The victims of this elaborate romance scam were primarily retired or semi-retired women seeking companionship and love online,” said Alexander in a media statement.
John Alexander and former detective lieutenant Colonel Neels Van Zyl from Royal Investigations initiated a comprehensive inquiry in Gauteng to track the activities of a Nigerian national identified as Frank Ebhoramen.
“This multidisciplinary operation eventually resulted in the successful arrest of Ebhoramen in Fourways, Johannesburg, who was found in possession of incriminating evidence, prompting a subsequent search and seizure operation at his residence.
He said during the search operation, 15 mobile phones were confiscated, all believed to have been utilized in the commission of these crimes. Ebhoramen was known as the, “R1.3 million romance scammer” and was arrested at Fourways Crossing on September 13.
Additionally, “The DPCI seized five laptop devices. Ebhoramen was unable to provide a reasonable explanation for the presence of these devices in his possession. It also became evident that Ebhoramen had a taste for expensive luxuries, and his residence appeared to be used by sophisticated romance crime syndicates.”
The accused appeared at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court on September 15. He remains in custody after his case was postponed to September 21.
“We are dedicated to ensuring the safety and security of our citizens, especially those who may fall victim to such scams. This operation serves as a stark reminder to exercise caution and vigilance when interacting with unknown individuals online.”
Alexander said the apprehension of Ebhoramen is a significant step toward dismantling criminal networks engaged in romance scams.
“We remain committed to bringing justice to those affected by these fraudulent activities. Royal Investigations played a pivotal role in gathering intelligence that led to this success. Mr. Ebhoramen will appear in Palm Ridge Commercial Crimes court on 15-09-2023. Further arrests cannot be ruled out at this stage.”
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