A 55-year-old United States woman has gone public with claims that her 26-year-old Nigerian husband married her under false pretenses and drained more than $80,000 from her in just three years.
The woman, who shared her ordeal in a viral social media video, accused her husband of deceiving her with love and marriage while secretly living off her money.
“This is the Israel family,” she began in the video, before naming several people she claimed were involved. Pointing at her husband, she said, “He married me under false pretense, scamming me of money and living a lavish life because of me. Eighty thousand within three years, it’s a lot, it’s a lot of money.”
She said she took care of him completely. “I wiped his ass, I wiped his debt, I did everything. He never once taken care of me. I’ve never reaped the benefit,” she said emotionally.
The woman alleged that her money funded his frequent outings and expensive lifestyle. “Do you think they’re going to the lounge three times a week, drinking, enjoying, staying at the hotel, if not for my money?” she asked.
She described herself as a “55-year-old woman with a heart condition and diabetic,” adding that she feels betrayed by the man she thought she was building a life with. “Isn’t he shameful that he is living off of me, a 55-year-old single mother?” she said.
She also cursed him and his family in her video, claiming they all benefited from her money. “They have no shame. Expensive designer clothes, I’ll bring for them. They have no shame,” she said.
Her story comes as romance scams remain a major concern worldwide. The FBI reported in 2024 that such scams are widespread and cause billions of dollars in global losses each year.
According to a 2025 Digital Forensics Corp. report, many scams originate from Nigeria, with perpetrators often targeting older women abroad. These schemes, commonly linked to “Yahoo Boys,” usually start with fake online relationships that lead to financial exploitation.
Victims are lured through emotional manipulation and later pressured into sending money through wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or gift cards. Experts warn that while some offenders face arrests and jail time, the practice continues to grow, leaving countless victims emotionally and financially shattered.
