Thai Police Arrest 6 Nigerians in AI Romance Scam Raid

Thai police have arrested six Nigerian nationals accused of running an artificial intelligence powered romance scam that targeted older women in the country. The arrests were made during a coordinated raid on a luxury riverside condominium in Nonthaburi province, near Phra Nang Klao Bridge in Bang Kraso, Muang district.

The operation, code named Dark Room Crackdown, was conducted under warrants issued by the Nonthaburi Provincial Court. Officers searched three rooms in the building. During the raid, some suspects refused to open their doors, prompting forced entry. One individual attempted to escape via a balcony, while another was found hiding in a bathroom trying to send text messages.

Police seized 18 mobile phones, three laptop computers, and three bank books. Investigators said the devices contained logs of romantic chat scripts and profile images generated using artificial intelligence. The suspects used the AI generated faces and scripted conversations to pose as wealthy foreign professionals, including pilots, doctors, lawyers, engineers, and American military personnel. They contacted victims through platforms such as Facebook Messenger, WeChat, TikTok, Line, and Zalo.