Three Yahoo Boys, William Elvis, Moses Kolawole Hezekiah, and Destiny Okobeni Oghentega, have been charged with romance and wire fraud.

The trio were charged in the federal court in Rhode Island on Wednesday for their roles in an alleged online romance and wire fraud scheme, a statement by the U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday said.

William Elvis, 35, Moses Kolawole Hezekiah, 34, and Destiny Okobeni Oghentega, 30, were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

According to court documents, beginning in or around early 2021, Messrs Elvis, Hezekiah, Oghentega, and others engaged in a scheme to defraud individuals through online impersonation and romance-based scams.  

The trio contacted their victims, including an elderly Rhode Island resident, portraying themselves as professionals working overseas and, over time, established relationships with them and then swindled them.

“The conspirators then made repeated requests for money under false pretences, including claims of financial hardship, legal issues, or medical emergencies.

“Victims were directed to send funds through gift cards, Bitcoin transactions, and other means, including transfers to accounts controlled by participants in the scheme. Victims sent substantial sums of money over the course of the scheme,” the U.S. Justice Department said.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation determined that the identities used were misappropriated and used without the individuals’ knowledge, and that communications and financial activity were traced to the defendants in Nigeria, according to the statement.