May 6, 2026
Romance scams come at a huge cost that goes far beyond broken hearts. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) data (1) shows $298 million in reported losses from romance cons originating on social media in 2025.
These swindles target people looking for love, but one recently ensnared a surprising victim: the City of Norfolk, Virginia. As WTVG 13 Action News (2) reported, Norfolk lost a shocking $1.2 million as part of a nefarious plot to steal from women on dating sites.
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The good news is these losses didn't happen because the mayor started exchanging love letters with a criminal. Still, the whole episode shows how big the scope of these scams can be, and how anyone can end up being part of a deception — even a city with a population of more than 231,000 people (3) and an entire finance department watching out for it.
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Here's how Norfolk lost millions in a romance scam
The romance scam that cost Norfolk millions involved a man named Habeeb Ayodeji Anibaba, according to court documents obtained by WTVG. Investigators are currently trying to extradite him to the United States from the United Kingdom.
Between August of 2019 and July of 2020, Anibaba allegedly built relationships with women across the country using online dating platforms. WAVY News (4) reports that Anibaba, from his computer in Nigeria, used various identities on U.S. sites, including "James Harold" and "Zoey Chase," reported WTVG (2).
These alter egos wooed victims then convinced them to buy gift cards, send cryptocurrency and transfer money through Venmo and PayPal (2).
Then, Anibaba allegedly paid back some of his beloveds — using the City of Norfolk's corporate bank account. More than 1,000 fraudulent transactions took place from the city's account, with total estimated losses topping $1.2 million. Who says romance is dead?
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
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Fraudulent bank transfers instead of flowers and chocolate
In most cases, losses from romance scams happen when victims send items of value, like gift cards and crypto, to the scammer. That happened here.
But the involvement of the city was an unusual twist, as the fraudster had somehow obtained the city's bank account number and told women to withdraw funds from it, either to send him more money or to pay themselves back after giving him other funds.
"The City was made aware of fraudulent ACH Debits in 2020 and worked quickly with the bank, the City Treasurer, and the FBI, allowing for recovery of funds," city officials said in a statement to WAVY. "The City has procedures and mechanisms in place to monitor and detect fraudulent activity."
Does your online date love you for your money?
With $1.2 million in fraudulent transactions, it's clear this romance scam had a big reach. Unfortunately, these scams often target vulnerable people who just want companionship.
The good news is, it's possible to avoid falling victim. The FTC (5) warns that you should watch out for:
- Anyone asking for money.
- A refusal to meet in person.
- Specific instructions on how to send money, especially if it's via untraceable or hard-to-recover methods.
- Pressure to act quickly.
- Pressure to keep the relationship or money requests secret.
If you spot these red flags, cut off communications right away. The scammer isn't in love with you. They're in love with your bank account -- or, perhaps, the City of Norfolk's bank account!
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Give your bank account some love to help avoid fraud
Of course, none of FTC's tips for avoiding scammers would have helped the city, but this advice would: Monitor your bank account for unfamiliar transactions.
While most people would probably notice more than 1,000 unknown debits and more than $1.2 million in withdrawals, you do have to look at your bank account regularly in order to spot something wrong.
Sunmark Credit Union (6) recommends checking in daily, or at least weekly, and setting up text alerts for unusual activity. The credit union also advises double-checking monthly statements and reporting any potential signs of fraud as soon as you notice them — to help protect your money from anyone who doesn't have your best interest at heart.
Article Sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our ethics and guidelines.
Federal Trade Commission (1),(5); WTVG 13 Action News (2); U.S. Census Bureau (3); WAVY News (4); Sunmark Credit Union (6)
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Christy Bieber has 15 years of experience as a personal finance and legal writer. She has written for many publications including Forbes, Kilplinger, CNN, WSJ, Credit Karma, Insurify and more.
