Hello, people, and welcome back to OKC Private Investigations & Process Server in Oklahoma. As usual, we are bringing you stories that you haven’t heard elsewhere. I am Makayla, and today a romance scam private investigator will be sharing stories of 4 romance scammers who defrauded their victims out of millions of dollars. You have so much to learn from this video. Don’t forget that to get an excellent romance scam private investigation, if you suspect that a romance scam has occurred, you should reach out to us at (405) 403-0106 to help you.
Introduction to the case
One of the things that has grown popular in our world today because of people’s need to make quick money is scamming or defrauding people. Romance scam is particularly popular, with several people falling victim to it because people are in need of connection or companionship from other people, and they unsuspectingly fall victim to scammers. Shortly, we will be exploring four romance scammers who were able to defraud people out of millions of dollars.
1. Christine Joan Echohawk
The first romance scammer on our list is 53-year-old Oklahoma woman known as Christine Joan Echohawk. In 2024, between September and December, she was able to allegedly launder approximately 1.5 million through romance scams from elderly people who were her targets. Christine’s victims included four women who parted with their money with the belief that they were helping their romantic partner. One of the women then sold her house to send money to Christine. When Christine got the money, she converted it into cryptocurrency and laundered the money. However, she was caught and is facing imprisonment.
2. Peaches Stergo
The second romance scammer who scammed people of millions is a Florida resident known as Paches Stergo. Her target was an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor. She met the man on a dating site in 2017, where she laid the groundwork for her scam. She forged documents and used false pretenses to get money from the man. Through this, the elderly man lost his savings, but as luck would have it, the man’s son discovered the scam and was instrumental in the arrest of Peaches Stergo.
3. Ijeoma Okoro
Third on our list is 33-year-old Ijeoma Okoro, who is from Aubrey, Texas. In March 2024, her illegal actions caught up with her because she was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison and ordered to pay over $2.2 million in restitution to the people she scammed. She and her accomplices met their target by creating fake dating profiles and manipulating their victims into sending money to them. Ijeoma was guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
4. Ze’Shawn Stanley Campbell
35-year-old Ze’Shawn Stanley Campbell, in October 2022, pleaded guilty to money laundering and wire fraud charges. He was from Irvine, California, and in 2020 had managed to defraud over 19 people. It is believed that he defrauded hundreds of thousands of dollars. He could do this because of his false claims of owning successful businesses and encouraging people to invest in his nonexistent businesses. His was not a case of romance scam but pure defrauding of his victims.
Conclusion
Hearing these stories should serve as a cautionary tale to you. If you have already been defrauded, know that it is not your fault; instead, make reports to the necessary authorities. To help you and others ensure that you do not send any money to someone you have not met, even when their story seems convincing. These scammers use fake identities and photos, so reverse search their images on search engines. If a person seems too good to be true, that means they are too good to be true. Keep your heart safe, and most importantly, keep your money safe.
No matter the sob stories, like emergency at the hospital, sudden travel plans, loss of capital, etc do not send them money. At OKC Private Investigations & Process Server in Oklahoma, we understand that you need the best romance scam private detective to uncover romance scams and help you build a solid case. So, do not hesitate to reach out to our private investigation agency to hire the best romance scam private detective who understands the intricacies of their job and will help you. For more insights or our services, visit us at www.privateinvestigatoroklahomacity.com or vivien@ojpslegal.com. Like, share, and subscribe for more informative content. Until next time, please stay safe.
