Basingstoke man used AI deepfakes in huge romance fraud scam

Henry Nimo, 38, of Belle Vue Road, Basingstoke, was sentenced to 27 months in prison at Winchester Crown Court on Friday, March 13, after being found to be a key part of an international network targeting vulnerable UK victims online. A second man, James Ashong, 40, of Burney Road, King's Lynn, Norfolk, was jailed for the same term after being found to have laundered money connected to the same fraud network.

The scam worked by fraudsters creating elaborate fake online personas and building what appeared to be genuine romantic relationships with victims over a long period of time, before eventually requesting money for a series of fictional and emotionally manipulative reasons.

In one particularly striking case that emerged during the investigation, a victim was targeted on Instagram by someone posing as a Danish entrepreneur. After trust had been established, the fraudsters deployed deepfake technology to make phone calls to the victim using a voice that matched photographs of the fake persona they had been sending her – making the deception almost impossible to detect.

Henry Nimo, 38, of Belle Vue Road, Basingstoke, was sentenced to 27 months in prison (Image: Hampshire Constabulary)

Nimo was found to be part of the UK operation responsible for collecting and moving the proceeds of these overseas scams. He set up a shell company, Henza Ltd, which carried out no legitimate business whatsoever and was used purely as a vehicle to launder criminal proceeds. To cover his tracks, he employed an overseas forger to produce false invoices on demand.

Between 2020 and 2021, bank accounts linked to Henza Ltd were used to launder more than £120,000 connected to confirmed romance fraud victims in the UK, with the funds then sent overseas to contacts thought to be operating from Ghana. Additional funds flowing into the company were also linked to international romance fraud victims.

Ashong's bank account was used to help conceal a further £30,000 in fraudulent funds. He also spent a portion of the money on high-value designer goods and passed payments through multiple accounts to disguise their origin. In total, more than £77,000 was confirmed to have been sent overseas as part of the money laundering operation.

In a separate strand of offending, Nimo was also convicted of creating and supplying fake Covid-19 'Fit to Fly' certificates using the name of legitimate laboratory Anglia DNA. Police warned the false documents could have led not only to financial loss but to serious public health risks by enabling fraudulent travel during the pandemic.

The case was the result of a complex and lengthy investigation by Police Staff Investigator Dan Culling from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary's Economic Crime Unit.

PSI Culling said the use of AI and deepfake technology was making romance fraud increasingly difficult for victims to spot. "The perpetrators of these types of crimes will use many clever methods to deceive their victims and cover their tracks, and this is becoming increasingly difficult for potential victims to detect due to the progression of AI, deepfakes and voice changing applications, which are easily accessible to the offenders," he said.

"Ashong and Nimo, through their connection to a variety of scams and fraudulent activities, have knowingly cheated people out of hundreds of thousands of pounds and deserve to face justice for their crimes.

"Fraud can have a devastating impact on the victim, both financial and personal, and can destroy lives. Whilst many fraudsters will target the elderly and vulnerable, anyone can be a victim, and this is becoming even more prevalent due to advances in technology."

Romance fraud often targets vulnerable or elderly victims over a prolonged period, with offenders investing significant time in building trust before striking. Police are urging anyone who believes they may have been targeted to visit hampshire.police.uk or reportfraud.police.uk.