US Seeks Extradition of Kenyan and Five Others Over Sh800m Madagascar Crypto Scam
US authorities are seeking the extradition of six foreign nationals, including three East Africans, accused of operating an international cryptocurrency and romance fraud ring out of Madagascar that defrauded about 800 Americans.
The push to bring the suspects to face charges in the United States highlights a growing trend of East African nationals being recruited into foreign-run cyber scam networks across the continent.
According to US Department of Justice filings, Kenyan national Nicodemus Hingima Monyancha was charged alongside Ugandan national Shamusa Ninsiima, Rwandan nationals Clement Mugiraneza and Merveille Macacumura, Cameroonian national Gislen Neukeu, and Chinese national Chui Kok Wa.
Investigators identified Wa as the alleged leader of the criminal enterprise, which operated out of scam compounds established in Madagascar in early 2025 after relocating from Cambodia following law enforcement crackdowns in Southeast Asia.
US Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro said Chinese criminal networks are increasingly deploying operatives across Africa to target Americans through dating sites, messaging apps, and social media.
The syndicate allegedly used fake online dating profiles to gain the trust of victims before directing them to fake non-fungible token (NFT) and cryptocurrency investment platforms.
“Once victims connected their digital wallets to the fraudulent platforms, they were encouraged to deposit additional funds,” court records state. “The scammers allegedly accessed the wallets and stole the money without the victims’ knowledge.”
FBI investigators identified 74 digital wallets linked to the scam, which siphoned millions from victims across the US.
Evidence retrieved from Wa’s mobile phones revealed formal employment contracts, staff rosters, shift schedules, and detailed instructions on how to emotionally manipulate targets. Workers were assigned overnight shifts to align with US time zones and received financial bonuses based on the money stolen.
The criminal charges follow an FBI-backed operation in August 2026, when Madagascar authorities raided 13 suspected scam compounds and seized more than 3,200 electronic devices.
However, US investigators faced friction after Madagascar authorities repatriated a significant number of Chinese suspects back to China before FBI agents could complete interviews. Pirro has called on Madagascar to cooperate fully with Washington and extradite the six primary suspects.
US authorities also obtained a material witness warrant to interview 15 compound workers currently in custody in Madagascar. The employees told investigators that Wa had trafficked and abused them.
The prosecution of Monyancha comes amid a broader crackdown by the US Scam Centre Strike Force on cross-border financial crimes involving East African citizens.
In March 2026, Kenyan national John Muriuku Wamuigah received a 23-month sentence for his role in a Business Email Compromise scheme that attempted to steal over Sh1.5 billion ($12 million). Wamuigah was arrested in Malaysia in 2022 and extradited to the US in 2025 after pleading guilty to wire fraud conspiracy.
In another case, Kenyan national Florence Mwende Musau was sentenced to 44 months in prison in 2023 following a June 2021 guilty plea for her involvement in online romance and bank fraud operations that stole more than Sh520 million ($4 million).
US federal prosecutors said investigations remain ongoing to trace the stolen cryptocurrency assets and identify additional co-conspirators in the Madagascar network.
