A 30-year-old Nigerian man, Friday Jeremiah Adejoh, wanted in the United States for alleged wire fraud, has been tracked down living a lavish lifestyle in Dubai, according to documents and social media records obtained by investigators.
In mid-December, Adejoh posted a video on Instagram of himself cruising on a motor yacht off the Dubai coast, captioning it: “Life in 2024… amazing.”
However, authorities say his alleged victims would view that life far differently. A federal indictment filed in February 2024, which had not been previously disclosed, accuses Adejoh of orchestrating what is commonly termed a “romance scam.”
The indictment lists several targets, but zeroes in on an unnamed professional e-sports athlete from Orange County, California, who authorities claim was tricked out of $1.3 million worth of Bitcoin.
Prosecutors allege Adejoh created a profile on a dating app using the name “Mabel.” Through conversations there, he and co-conspirators—including a fellow Nigerian named Chekwube Odinaka Mefoh—set up a fraudulent cryptocurrency trading platform called “Whalepool.tech.” The victim was then convinced to deposit Bitcoin into wallets controlled by the group, under the false promise of receiving commissions on those funds.
Just weeks after the alleged Bitcoin withdrawal, property records from the Dubai Land Department show Adejoh purchased two apartments in the city, worth a combined $860,000. He used a passport from St. Kitts and Nevis to complete the deals in 2020, and still owns one property—a one-bedroom unit in the 75-story SLS Dubai Hotel & Residences in the upscale Business Bay district.
His Instagram account, under the handle “jerradpb,” showcased this wealth: photos of him petting a tiger at a zoo, sitting astride a BMW motorcycle, and posing with a yellow Lamborghini Urus. In one post, he asked followers, “Lamborghini or Ferrari,” while clarifying in another, “I love Porche too.”
Neither Adejoh nor Mefoh responded to requests for comment sent via email or WhatsApp. After being contacted by reporters via Instagram, Adejoh deleted his social media accounts. Investigators had already saved screenshots of his posts, including the yacht outing.
The U.S. indictment remains active, with prosecutors still seeking to identify other alleged co-conspirators in the scheme.