Nigerian scammers exploit Italian doctor’s photos to defraud Turkish women

Nigerian scammers used photos of Italian doctor Giuseppe Sebastio, with 20,000 social media followers, to create fake profiles under ‘Dr. Philips Thomson’ and ‘Owen Carter,’ deceiving Turkish women with false romantic promises.

The fraudsters lured their victims by claiming they were about to retire and would receive a large retirement bonus.

They persuaded the women that they sought a trustworthy partner to care for their child. Once they gained the women’s trust, the scammers, posing as delivery agents, demanded a “delivery fee,” which successfully deceived several victims.

‘They use my photo to deceive Turkish women’

Giuseppe Sebastio confirmed the scam in a statement: “I use social media to help people, but some scammers from Nigeria are misusing my photos on fake profiles to deceive Turkish women. They trick these women into falling in love and asking for money. Women should be wary and not send money based on my photos.”

Nigerian scammers convince Turkish victims to retirement with significant bonus

Two women who were targeted by the scammers described their experiences. They explained that the fraudsters initially built an emotional connection and falsely claimed they were retiring with a significant bonus.

When the scammers said they intended to send the money to Türkiye, the women realized something was amiss and, while trying to trace the source of the photos, contacted Dr. Sebastio.