A Kenyan man is among six suspects charged in the United States over an alleged cryptocurrency investment scam that targeted about 800 Americans through fraudulent NFT platforms. Nicodemus Hingima Monyancha is accused of working with Cameroonian national Gislen Neukeu, Ugandan national Shamusa Ninsiima, Rwandan nationals Clement Mugiraneza and Merveille Macacumura, and Chinese national Chui Kok Wa, whom prosecutors identified as the alleged leader of the scheme. Prosecutors say the operation used romance-style deception. Scammers allegedly posed as attractive women on dating websites, then built relationships with victims before pushing them to invest in fake NFT platforms. Once victims connected their cryptocurrency wallets to the sites, they were urged to deposit more funds, which the scammers allegedly stole. FBI investigators linked the scam to about 74 cryptocurrency wallets tied to victims across the US who reported financial losses after interacting with the fraudulent platforms. The charges are part of efforts by the US Scam Centre Strike Force to combat cryptocurrency and online investment fraud connected to transnational criminal networks. Court materials described the group as operating from abroad, with links to Malaysia and China. Investigators alleged that scam compounds were set up in Madagascar in early 2025, after operations were reportedly moved from Cambodia following a law enforcement action there. Phones seized during the investigation are said to have contained employment contracts showing workers operated in Madagascar on overnight shifts that corresponded to daytime and evening hours in the US. Prosecutors also allege the workers were offered bonuses based on how much money they stole. Devices were further said to include scripts instructing staff on manipulating victims emotionally, using language that described the approach as an “emotional scam”, along with employee rosters containing names, passport details, salaries, working hours, disciplinary records and cryptocurrency wallet addresses. US officials say stolen funds were traced to cryptocurrency accounts associated with China-based individuals, including Wa. The case follows an FBI-supported operation in Madagascar in August 2026 that dismantled 13 suspected scam compounds and seized more than 3,200 electronic devices. The US later faced difficulties interviewing people connected to the case after Madagascar repatriated many suspects to China before the investigation was completed. Prosecutors say Wa’s phones also showed that the alleged workers were in Madagascar, and they obtained a material witness warrant to interview 15 employees believed to be in custody in Madagascar. US investigators say the case is continuing, including identifying others involved and tracing stolen cryptocurrency.