'Oliver Wilson' Was Not a Widower in Norway: Georgia Man Sentenced in Romance Scam Targeting a 77-Year-Old Woman

Published Oct. 12, 2026. Case statuses are current as of that date.

He said his name was Oliver Wilson, that he was an American widower living in Norway, and that he needed gift cards to "stay online" so they could keep talking. Federal prosecutors say the 77-year-old Western New York woman he contacted on Facebook sent about $15,000 in gift cards and more than $162,000 in checks before her bank stopped the last two.

On Oct. 8, 2026, Stephen Odiboh, 53, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, was sentenced to 33 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa and ordered to pay $196,500 in restitution, U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced [1]. Odiboh had been convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud [1]; local reporting says he pleaded guilty to that charge [2].

Note on status: Odiboh has been sentenced. The co-conspirators described below used aliases and are not named in the release; no victims are named here.

How the scheme worked

Prosecutors say that between 2023 and March 2025, Odiboh and co-conspirators defrauded or tried to defraud four victims, with total actual and attempted losses of $356,500 [1].

"Oliver Wilson"

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office [1]:

1. The contact. In 2023, Odiboh contacted a 77-year-old woman in Western New York on Facebook, posing as "Oliver Wilson." He said he was a U.S. citizen and a widower living in Norway.
2. The relationship. Over about a year and a half, "Wilson" built a romantic online relationship with her.
3. Gift cards. "Wilson" said he needed gift cards to "stay online" and keep talking. She sent about 30 gift cards worth $500 each, about $15,000 in all.
4. Checks. Between January and July 2024, "Wilson" got her to mail eight checks totaling more than $162,000 to specific people and entities, including two checks to Odiboh himself.
5. The "customs fine." In December 2024, "Wilson" said he was being held by customs authorities in Norway and needed to pay a $158,000 fine. She mailed two checks totaling $158,000, but her bank detected fraud and stopped payment before they could be cashed.

Other victims

Prosecutors described three other people targeted by co-conspirators [1]:

• A fake catering job. In April 2024, someone calling himself "Alex Alberto" asked a caterer for services. Asked for an $800 deposit, he sent a $2,800 check and told the caterer to cash it and send the extra $2,000 to Odiboh through Zelle. The caterer realized it was fraud and did not deposit the check.
• A dating-site contact. In 2024, a co-conspirator calling himself "William Rivera" met a victim on an online dating site and convinced the victim to send $2,000 to Odiboh through Cash App.
• A shipping "emergency." In March 2025, "Alec Jonas" met a woman on a dating site, said he was working in Bahrain and needed money to ship goods to Texas, and got her to wire $17,525 to an account he controlled.

A larger case

Odiboh was one of eight people arrested last year in a case that U.S. Attorney DiGiacomo said involved at least 139 victims, 13WHAM reported [2]. This article covers only Odiboh's case; the other defendants are not named here, and those whose cases are unresolved are presumed innocent.

The person sentenced

Stephen Odiboh, 53, of Stone Mountain, Georgia

• Conviction: conspiracy to commit wire fraud [1]
• Sentence (Oct. 8, 2026): 33 months in prison and $196,500 in restitution [1]
• Court: U.S. District Court, Western District of New York (Rochester)

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire and investigated by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation [1].

Red flags of a romance scam

• Someone you met online who lives or works far away, often overseas, and never meets in person.
• Requests for gift cards for any reason, including to "stay online." Gift cards are a favorite scam payment because they are hard to trace and recover.
• Requests to mail checks to people or companies you don't know.
• A sudden crisis abroad: customs holds, fines, frozen shipments, or medical bills.
• Overpayment checks. A "customer" sends more than the deposit and asks you to forward the difference. That is a fake-check scam.

What to do if you're targeted

1. Stop sending money and gift cards. No legitimate person needs gift cards to keep a conversation going.
2. Call your bank right away if you've mailed checks. In this case, the bank stopped $158,000 in checks before they were cashed [1].
3. Contact the gift card company using the number on the back of the card, and keep the cards and receipts.
4. Talk to someone you trust. Scammers often ask victims to keep the relationship secret.
5. Report it to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Adults 60 and older can call the Justice Department's National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-372-8311.

Case status (as of Oct. 12, 2026)

Defendant	Court	Status as of Oct. 12, 2026	Source
Stephen Odiboh, 53, Stone Mountain, Ga.	U.S. District Court, Western District of New York	Convicted (guilty plea, per 13WHAM) of conspiracy to commit wire fraud; sentenced Oct. 8, 2026, to 33 months in prison; $196,500 restitution	[1], [2]

Statuses can change. Sentences can be appealed.

Sources

1. U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of New York, "Georgia man going to prison for scamming victims out of tens of thousands of dollars," Oct. 8, 2026 (distributed via Public Technologies). https://www.pubt.io/view/9C81472F861AA32EE8870C98E377566E76257DFB
2. 13WHAM, "Man sentenced for fraud scheme targeting seniors in Western New York," Oct. 2026 (accessed Oct. 12, 2026). https://13wham.com/news/local/man-sentenced-for-fraud-scheme-targeting-seniors-in-western-new-york

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