Ten Nigerians have been convicted in the U.S. for running a global cyber fraud scheme that defrauded victims of about $125 million.
Ten Nigerian nationals, including Olalekan Bashiru and Emma Okereke, have been convicted in the United States over a large-scale internet fraud scheme linked to losses of about $125 million. The convictions followed a four-day trial at the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, with some defendants pleading guilty while others were found guilty by a jury.
Prosecutors said the group operated transnational cyber fraud syndicates that hacked email accounts to access sensitive information, which they used to send convincing fraudulent messages requesting payments. The scheme targeted victims across the U.S. and several other countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates, with individual losses ranging from thousands to millions of dollars.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the suspects laundered proceeds through a network of bank accounts and shell companies, using about $50 million to purchase cashier’s checks. Authorities seized nearly $1.2 million in cash, cryptocurrency, luxury watches, and properties linked to the operation. The convicts are expected to be sentenced at a later date.
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