Nollywood actor IK Ogbonna has dismissed reports linking him to an alleged romance scam, describing the claims as false, malicious and intended to tarnish his reputation.
The controversy followed online reports alleging that the actor was being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in collaboration with the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) over a purported $75,000 romance scam.
The reports also claimed that a 49-year-old American woman, identified as Kimberly Ann, filed a complaint alleging she had been in an online relationship since 2025 with someone impersonating the actor.
Reacting to the allegations, Ogbonna took to his Instagram Stories to deny any involvement, insisting he has never participated in internet fraud, romance scams or any other criminal activity.
“This report is completely false, malicious and without any factual basis. I don’t support or participate in any form of internet fraud, romance scams or any other fraudulent activity,” he said.
The actor revealed that fraudsters have repeatedly used his identity to deceive unsuspecting members of the public through fake social media accounts bearing his name and photographs.
According to him, he has never authorised anyone to represent him online, solicit money on his behalf or engage in private conversations while pretending to be him.
“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.
“I have never authorised anyone to represent me online, solicit money on my behalf, or engage in private conversations pretending to be me.
“Please remain vigilant and be extremely careful of impersonators and catfish accounts that exploit my identity to scam unsuspecting people,” he added.
Ogbonna urged his fans and the general public to remain vigilant and verify social media accounts before engaging with individuals claiming to represent him.
His reaction comes amid growing concerns over the use of fake celebrity accounts to perpetrate online impersonation and romance scams.
