LAGOS, Nigeria — Nollywood actor IK Ogbonna has denied online rumours claiming he is being interrogated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) over an alleged $75,000 romance scam, describing the report as “completely false, malicious, and without any factual basis.”
The rumours, which surfaced on Friday, claimed that a 49-year-old American citizen named Kimberly Ann had filed a complaint against the actor, alleging she had been in an online relationship with someone posing as him since 2025 and had lost $75,000. The reports further alleged that a joint investigation by both agencies had been launched.
Reacting to the viral report on his Instagram story, Ogbonna firmly denied any involvement, stating, “I don’t support, or participate in any form of internet fraud, romance scams, or any other fraudulent activity.”
The actor also revealed that this was not the first time his identity had been exploited by fraudsters. He explained that unknown individuals have repeatedly created fake social media accounts using his name and photographs to deceive unsuspecting members of the public. “Unfortunately, this is not the first time my name, image, and identity have been used by unknown individuals operating fake social media accounts to deceive unsuspecting members of the public,” he said.
Ogbonna stressed that he has never authorised anyone to represent him online, solicit money on his behalf, or engage in private conversations pretending to be him. He urged fans to remain vigilant and be extremely cautious of impersonators and catfish accounts that exploit his identity to scam unsuspecting people.
The actor, whose full name is Ikechukwu Mitchel Ogbonna, is 42 years old. His reaction comes amid growing concerns over the use of fake celebrity profiles on social media to perpetrate romance and financial scams. The Nollywood star has previously warned fans about fake social media accounts impersonating him.
