Nigerian Man Jailed in US for Hacking Tax Firms, Filing Fake Returns
- A Nigerian national has been sentenced in Boston, United States, after hacking tax firms to file fraudulent returns
- Prosecutors disclosed a phishing scheme that accessed client data and redirected refunds to co-conspirators
- Authorities also reported over 1,000 fake filings, and exposed millions sought, prompting cybersecurity warnings
A Nigerian man who lived in Mexico has been sentenced to eight years in a United States prison for breaking into the computer systems of tax preparation firms in Massachusetts and filing fake tax returns to steal government funds.
Source: Getty Images
The sentencing was disclosed on Wednesday, February 18, in an official statement released on a United States government website.
Matthew A. Akande, 37, received the sentence on Tuesday, February 17, from US District Court Judge Indira Talwani in federal court in Boston. He will also serve three years of supervised release after prison and must pay $1,393,230 in restitution.
Akande was arrested in October 2024 at Heathrow Airport in the United Kingdom at the request of the United States. He was later extradited to the US on March 5, 2025. A federal grand jury had indicted him in July 2022 on multiple charges, including conspiracy, wire fraud, unauthorised access to protected computers, theft of government money, and aggravated identity theft.
How the scheme worked
According to prosecutors, between June 2016 and June 2021, Akande worked with others to steal money from the US government by using taxpayers’ personal information to file fake tax returns.
The group obtained personal data from clients of Massachusetts tax preparation firms through phishing emails and computer intrusions. The emails pretended to be from potential clients seeking tax services but were designed to trick firms into downloading malicious software known as remote access trojans, including Warzone RAT.
Once inside the systems, the malware allowed Akande to access clients’ personal details and prior tax records. He then used the information to file fraudulent tax returns and request refunds.
The refunds were sent to bank accounts opened by co-conspirators in the United States. The money was withdrawn in cash and partly transferred to third parties in Mexico at Akande’s direction, while others kept a share.
Source: Getty Images
Scale of the fraud
Authorities said the group filed more than 1,000 fake tax returns over about five years, seeking over $8.1 million in refunds. They successfully obtained more than $1.3 million.
The case was announced by US Attorney Leah B. Foley, FBI Boston Special Agent in Charge Ted E. Docks, and IRS Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge Thomas Demeo.
Federal authorities urged businesses that believe they have been targeted by cyberattacks to report incidents to the Internet Crime Complaint Center. Taxpayers and tax firms that suspect phishing attempts were also advised to report them to the Internal Revenue Service.
Assistant US Attorney David M. Holcomb prosecuted the case, while the Justice Department worked with authorities in the United Kingdom to secure Akande’s extradition.
US expands deportation list for Nigerians
In a related development, Legit.ng reported the US Department of Homeland Security added 18 more Nigerians to its deportation list, bringing the total number set for removal under an expanded crackdown to 97.
US immigration authorities said those targeted are part of a “worst‑of‑the‑worst” enforcement effort focused on immigrants convicted of serious crimes, with the expanded list published on the DHS website on February 10, 2026.
Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
