US Retired Teacher Commits Suicide After $80,000 Romance Scam by Nigerians
A retired American teacher in Tennessee committed suicide in October 2023 after losing $80,000—his entire life savings—to a romance scam involving Nigerians in Nigeria and the US. The victim, identified as 'Victim 1', was defrauded from February to October 2023 in a sextortion plot orchestrated by a criminal network.
Court documents obtained by PREMIUM TIMES reveal the scammers used a fake Google chat account to pose as a popular female actress, engaging in a romantic relationship with the victim. They exchanged intimate photos, after which the Nigerian network shared a doctored nude photo and impersonated FBI officials and the US Attorney General. They threatened the victim with false prosecution, claiming the Supreme Court demanded fines to seal the case, which would otherwise force him to testify publicly about the affair.
The victim sent two cashier's cheques of $41,000 each but faced continued harassment, leading to his suicide via intraoral gunshot wound on October 23, 2023. In December 2025, the US District Court in Tennessee sentenced Chinagorom Onwumere and Stephen Anagor (Nigerian-Americans) to 16 years in prison. Sudanese national Salma Abdalkareem received four years and three months.
The couple, Onwumere and Abdalkareem, served as money mules, operating Salmasam LLC to launder funds to Nigeria. They defrauded eight Americans of nearly $400,000, with the court ordering $388,500 in restitution. Nigeria-based collaborators remain unidentified.
This highlights the severe emotional and financial toll of romance scams. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, contact Nigeria's suicide prevention helpline at 0809-210-0009.