Kenneth G. Akpieyi, a 44-year-old man from Marietta, Georgia, was found guilty of running a romance scam that tricked women into sending him money. He used a fake name, “Phillip Anderson,” and worked with others to fool people online for several years.

The scammers pretended to be generals, business owners, or kind-hearted people doing charity work. They met women on social media like Facebook and Instagram and built fake romantic relationships. Once they gained trust, they asked the women to keep talking on private apps like WhatsApp. Then, they made up sad stories and asked for money, saying it was to help a sick family member or to support a fake cause.

Kenneth collected the money from victims and used his company, KGA Autobrokers, to move it through different banks. In one case, he got two checks worth $300,000 from the same victim and deposited them at different banks on the same day. Some of the stolen money was sent to foreign countries like China and the United Arab Emirates.

Eight women testified in court and said they had been tricked. Altogether, they lost more than $3 million. Kenneth was found guilty of conspiracy to commit fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and mail fraud.

He will be sentenced on November 5, 2025. Each charge could bring up to 20 years in prison, large fines, and more penalties.

This case shows how online scams can seem real, but often they are not.