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U.S. Woman Stranded in Pakistan After Online Romance Fails

KARACHI, Pakistan — A New York woman who traveled to Pakistan to marry a teenager she met online is reportedly returning home after being rejected by her alleged fiancé and left stranded in Karachi. Onijah Andrew Robinson, 33, arrived in October 2024 to meet Nidal Ahmed Memon, 19, but was turned away by him and his family, leaving her without a place to stay as her tourist visa expired.
Robinson, who became a social media sensation after sharing her story, claimed she was left wandering the streets of Karachi. She lingered near Memon’s home, only to find it locked and abandoned. In a series of viral videos, she made bold demands for financial assistance, including requests for $100,000 or more, stating, “I need 20K by this week, in my pockets, in cash.”
Her demands appeared to shift between personal needs and calls for improving Pakistan’s infrastructure and public services. At one point, she claimed she and Memon were planning to move to Dubai and start a family, despite his earlier rejection. “Make sure you get this on your camera, I’m married to Nidal Ahmed Memon, we are moving to Dubai very soon. We’re going to have our baby in Dubai,” she said in one video.
Robinson’s son, Jeremiah Robinson, told Pakistani media that his mother suffers from bipolar disorder and denied that the marriage ever took place. “I’m trying to help her as her son to come back to the U.S. She was only supposed to go to Pakistan to meet him and his family,” he said.
According to reports, a non-governmental organization offered to pay for her return ticket to the U.S., but Robinson initially refused. As of Monday, she is believed to be on her way back to the U.S., though details of her return remain unclear.
Robinson has a history of legal issues, including a 2020 arrest in Charleston County, South Carolina, for trespassing. The Independent has reached out to Robinson and the U.S. Consulate General in Karachi for comment.