No fewer than 66 Nigerians, based home and abroad, have been indicted by the US Department of Justice over internet crime and money laundering.
In a 145-page document released yesterday, a total of 80 suspects, many of them Nigerians, were allegedly involved in the scheme with more than a dozen of them arrested during raids on Thursday, Thom Mrozek, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, confirmed report.
The document noted that the 80 named individuals were charged with conspiracy to commit mail and bank fraud, as well as aggravated identity theft and money laundering.
“Today, we have taken a major step to disrupt criminal networks that use business email scam schemes, romance scams and other frauds to fleece victims,” said Nicola Hanna, U.S. Attorney.
Hanna noted that the case was part of an on-going effort to protect citizens and businesses from email scams in the country.
“This indictment sends a message that we will identify perpetrators — no matter where they reside — and we will cut off the flow of ill-gotten gains,” he added.
According to the FBI, the impersonation attacks have cost consumers and businesses in the state more than $3 billion since 2015 when investigation into the matter started.
Two notable Nigerians, Valentine Iro, 31, and Chukwudi Christogunus Igbokwe, 38, both residing in California, have been accused of running the operation, the prosecutors said.
The alleged fraudsters were accused of carrying out several hundred “overt” acts of fraud against more than a dozen victims, generating millions of dollars’ worth of fraud over several months. In some cases, the fraudsters would hack into the email accounts of the person they were trying to impersonate to try to trick a victim into wiring money from a business into the fraudster’s bank account.
The FBI said the agency has seen a large increase in the number of business email scams in the past year targeting small and large businesses, as well as non-profits.
Earlier this week, the FBI named Obinwanne Okeke, CEO of Invictus Group, in one of the recent cases of internet fraud, which has put the nation in bad light.
The Nigerian entrepreneur and young billionaire who was celebrated by Forbes Magazine as one of the American magazine’s “30 under 30” is said to currently be in FBI custody over an alleged $11 million internet scam from which Okeke is said to have got his wealth.
According to news reports, Okeke was apprehended around the 6th of August for conspiracy to commit fraud and wire fraud after the agency carried out a thorough investigation that linked him to the crime.
This on-going case have added to the numerous crimes reported that are denting the image of the Nigeria.
Other Nigerians indicted in the case as seen in the document include Izuchukwu Kingsley Umejesi, Adegoke Moses Ogungbe, Chukwudi Collins Ajaeze, Ekene Augustine Ekechukwu, Chuka Eroha, Collins Nnameka Ojimba, Uchenna Ochiagha, Nnamdi Theojoseph Duru,
Ericson Oforka, Mark Chukwuocha, Augustine Nnamdi, Chiemezie Christopher Chilaka, Stanley Ugochukwu Uche, China Augustine Odionyenma, Pascal Chima Ogbonna, Samuel Nnamdi Onwuasoanya, Macwilliam Chinoso Chukwuocha, Emmanuel Onyeka Uzoka, George Ugochukwu Egwumba, Uchechukwu Solomon Ezirim, and Augustine Ifeanyi Okafor.
There are indications that the US would extradite all who have been named in the case since a treaty already exists between the US and the Nigerian government.
MICHAEL ANI & SEGUN ADAMS
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