A 53-year-old Georgia man has been sentenced to 33 months in federal prison for his role in a romance fraud scheme that drained tens of thousands of dollars from an elderly Western New York woman who believed she had found love online. Stephen Odiboh, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, was ordered to pay $196,500 in restitution after admitting he conspired to defraud four people across the region, part of a wider operation that stole $356,500 from victims.
U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa handed down the sentence in federal court in Rochester, according to the 13WHAM-TV, which reported that U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced the outcome. DiGiacomo said the broader fraud scheme involved at least 139 victims, and Odiboh was arrested alongside seven other people as part of the case. Odiboh pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy to commit wire fraud on June 10, 2026, a charge that carries a legal maximum of 20 years in prison, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
A Fabricated Widower in Norway
Prosecutors say Odiboh posed as “Oliver Wilson” on Facebook, pretending to be a U.S. citizen and widower living in Norway, and used the fake persona to foster a romantic online relationship with a 77-year-old woman. As “Wilson,” he asked the victim for gift cards to stay online and keep talking, and she eventually sent roughly 30 gift cards worth $500 each — about $15,000 in total.
The scheme escalated in 2024 when “Wilson” induced the woman to mail eight checks totaling more than $162,000 to specific individuals and entities, two of which were sent directly to Odiboh. That December, “Wilson” claimed he was being detained by customs authorities in Norway and needed to pay a $158,000 fine, directing the victim to mail two additional checks totaling that amount. The woman's bank detected the fraud and stopped payment before the checks could be cashed, according to the same sentencing announcement referenced by 13WHAM-TV. Court documents also describe co-conspirators attempting to scam three other people during the same period.
Other Tactics Used by the Network
Federal court documents show Odiboh's co-conspirators relied on more than one scam tactic. In 2024, someone posing as “Alex Alberto” targeted a caterer with a fraudulent $2,800 check meant to cover an $800 deposit, hoping the caterer would wire back the difference before the check bounced, per the Department of Justice. The attempted scam sought to have the caterer wire back the difference before the check bounced.
Part of a Larger Crackdown on Elder Fraud
The case against Odiboh traces back to “Save Our Seniors,” a multi-agency law enforcement working group formed to collaborate on investigations. By September 2025, the working group had charged eight defendants across seven criminal complaints representing more than $11 million in actual and attempted losses affecting 139 victims, the Department of Justice said in announcing those earlier arrests.
Prosecutors alleged that Odiboh received $70,000 from a Western New York senior who lost more than $175,000 in a romance scam, according to The Wellsville Sun.
A Growing National Problem
Romance scams targeting older adults have surged nationally. Americans lost $929 million to romance and relationship scams in 2025, a 38% jump from $672 million the year before, according to FBI data reported by Take Care. FBI cybercrime statistics cited by the outlet put nationwide romance-scam losses at $929 million in 2025, up from $672 million the year before.
In response to the growing threat, DiGiacomo teamed up with FBI and Homeland Security officials in Western New York in February 2026 to launch the #DatingOrDefrauding public awareness campaign, according to a separate report from the Wellsville Sun. The initiative is aimed at helping residents spot fake social media personas and recognize red flags like requests for gift cards or wire transfers from online romantic partners they have never met in person.
