BANGKOK, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Five Nigerian males were arrested in Thailand on fraud charges allegedly involving online romance scams, a police general said on Saturday.

The five Nigerian nationals were arrested at varied spots in Bangkok and the provinces along with 12 Thai people who had allegedly conspired to defraud a combined sum of 5.96 million baht (about 180,000 U.S. dollars) in cash from a total of 48 victims of the online romance scams, said Deputy Tourist Police Commissioner Pol. Maj. Gen. Surachate Hakparn.

The Nigerians had allegedly faked identities as white males, pretentiously wooed the woman victims online and finally deceived each of them into transferring a sum of money which they had falsely claimed to pay for an import tariff and fee for the purported delivery of gift items from overseas.

Two of the five suspected Nigerian scammers were identified as James Onwuchukwu and Chinedu Nwaobi, according to the deputy tourist police commissioner.

The scammer suspects had allegedly prowled for preys who resided in Ram Indra Road area of Bangkok and in the provinces including Trat, Chonburi, Phitsanulok and Surat Thani.

Pol. Maj. Gen. Surachate said some 140 cases of online romance scams had already occurred in Thailand so far this year, defrauding a combined sum of 81 million baht (about 2.45 million U.S. dollars) out of the victims' pocket. Enditem

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