Authorities in the United States have dismantled a wide-ranging international cybercrime syndicate responsible for defrauding victims of about $215 million across 19 countries, with several Nigerians among those convicted.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office disclosed on Thursday that 25 individuals were convicted on April 24 for their roles in a sophisticated “business email compromise” scheme involving fraud and money laundering.
Among those convicted were four Nigerian nationals identified as Emmauel Okereke, also known as Omo Igbo, 42; Olalekan Bashiru, popularly called Ola Bash, 36; Jeremiah Agina, 29; and Ademola Balogun, 43.
Also named were five naturalised U.S. citizens of Nigerian descent: Ayobami Osas Christopher (Lovely Man), 30; Ayorinde Emmanuel Adebayo, 35; Olabode Bankole, 37; Chukwuemeka Evulukwu, 35; and Kingsley Owusu, 37.
Another defendant, Oluwafemi Michael Awoyemi, 40, was also listed in a related case, though his nationality was not specified in the court documents.
According to court filings, the syndicate gained unauthorised access to victims’ email accounts and monitored communications to identify ongoing financial transactions. The criminals then impersonated legitimate correspondents and sent fake payment instructions that appeared authentic due to their knowledge of private business dealings.
Once funds were transferred, they were routed through a complex network of fraudulent bank accounts and cash-handling channels to conceal their origin and distribute proceeds among members of the group.
Investigators said about $50 million of the stolen funds was converted into cashier’s cheques, which were processed through a Chicago-area currency exchange operated by co-defendant Lon Goodman. Prosecutors alleged that Goodman accepted cheques presented with false identities and continued transactions even after banks flagged suspicious activity.
The scheme reportedly extended across multiple continents, with victims identified in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Panama, Bermuda, Romania, among others.
Losses ranged from tens of thousands to several million dollars per victim, with one company allegedly transferring $2.7 million into a shell account controlled by the syndicate.
Authorities also moved to seize assets linked to the proceeds of crime, including nearly $1.2 million in cashier’s cheques, cryptocurrency holdings, cash, luxury wristwatches valued up to $140,000, and a 4,423-square-foot property in Georgia.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said sentencing for the convicted individuals will be determined after consideration of factors such as criminal history and individual roles in the conspiracy.
The investigation was carried out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the U.S. Border Patrol Sandusky Bay Intelligence Unit.
