33 Nigerians Face 20 years in jail For N7.38bn Multiple Romance, Money Laundering Scam
- According to the court, a variety of fraudulent techniques were used to collect money from their victims since January 2017
- At least 100 people, businesses, and government agencies from all around the world were affected
- The elderly were said to be the most frequently targeted with the promise of affection.
A federal jury in Texas, United States, has indicted 23 Nigerians on accusations of multi-scheme fraud conspiracy, including romance scams, investment fraud, and corporate email compromise, with the intent of stealing at least $17 million (N7.38 billion).
According to a statement published on Saturday, September 24, 2021, the suspects targeted the elderly and laundered their money through a network of numerous bank accounts, co-conspirators, and enterprises in Africa and Asia.
The Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei noted the conspiracy began in January 2017 and used a variety of techniques, including online romance scams, compromising company communications, investor and unemployment insurance fraud.
Source: Getty Images
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The multi-scheme fraud involved at least $17 million from over 100 individuals, companies, and government entities around the world.
According to a press statement from the US Attorney's Office, the conspirators "not only plotted how to take money from their victims," but also disguised, distributed, and laundered the money after successfully defrauding their victims.
Part of the statement reads:
“The alleged unlawful activity in this case is sophisticated in its techniques, vast in its scope, and cruel in its goals. The indictment alleges a conspiracy in which many forms of fraud, including romance and investment scams, were perpetrated on an unsuspecting American public, particularly the old and weak, with the money stolen off and smuggled overseas. The claimed degree of financial and emotional damage in this instance is nothing short of staggering.”
Names that have been arrested include:
Source: Original
In March 2020, the FBI similarly arrested 24 individuals, some of them Nigerians, running scams in Texas from Atlanta Georgia.
Another 10 arrested
In a related raid, the US authority has announced it arrested another 10 Nigerians for the same crime of romance.
The arrest was carried on Wednesday, 22 September 2021, on financial crimes, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.
Below are the names of those arrested:
Source: Getty Images
US Govt Gathers 6,700-Page Documentary Evidence for Abba Kyari’s Case
The United States is not backing down in its bid to prosecute Abba Kyari and five others indicted in the $1.1million fraud committed by Hushpuppi.
It was gathered that a total of 2,700 electronic files and 6,700-page documents have been assembled by the US prosecutors.
While Hushpuppi has pleaded guilty, three of the defendants have been arrested while three, including Kyari remain "at large"
Source: Legit.ng
