FBI Releases Age, Date of Birth of 4 Nigerian Men on Wanted List, Shares Other Details
- The FBI has publicly listed four Nigerian men wanted in connection with a Business Email Compromise scheme that targeted over 70 US businesses
- The four suspects, Richard Uzuh, Felix Okpoh, Nnamdi Benson, and Micheal Olorunyomi, each face federal charges ranging from wire fraud to identity theft
- All four men are believed to currently reside in Nigeria, with all of them flagged as an international flight risk by US authorities
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The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has placed four Nigerian men on its cybercrime wanted list, publishing their full names, dates of birth, and details of the federal charges each of them faces.
The four individuals, Richard Izuchukwu Uzuh, Felix Osilama Okpoh, Nnamdi Orson Benson, and Micheal Olorunyomi, are each linked to a Business Email Compromise (BEC) scheme that caused over $6,000,000 in losses across more than 70 US businesses. All four are believed to currently reside in Nigeria.
Source: UGC
According to the FBI, the scheme resulted in combined losses exceeding $6 million, with all four suspects believed to be residing in Nigeria.
FBI details allegations against Richard Uzuh
The FBI said Richard Izuchukwu Uzuh, born on April 29, 1986, is wanted on charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Authorities alleged that Uzuh and his co-conspirators sent spoofed emails to thousands of businesses in the United States, requesting fraudulent wire transfers.
The FBI further claimed that Uzuh worked with money launderers, romance scammers and other individuals involved in BEC schemes to move illicit proceeds through a network of people in the United States and other countries.
FBI accuses Okpoh of supplying bank accounts
Felix Osilama Okpoh, whose date of birth is listed as March 9, 1989, is wanted on a charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
The FBI alleged that Okpoh supplied hundreds of bank accounts to Uzuh and another co-conspirator, Nnamdi Orson Benson, which were used to receive fraudulent wire transfers.
Investigators claimed that accounts linked to Okpoh received more than $1 million in fraudulent transfers from victim businesses.
Benson linked to romance fraud, advance-fee scams
The FBI also listed Nnamdi Orson Benson, born on March 21, 1987, as wanted for conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
According to the agency, Benson allegedly provided bank accounts to receive fraudulent transfers and carried out romance and advance-fee fraud schemes.
Federal prosecutors in Nebraska indicted Benson alongside Okpoh on August 21, 2019, with an arrest warrant issued a day later.
Olorunyomi accused of targeting widows, elderly victims
Micheal Olorunyomi, whose date of birth is listed as May 12, 1983, faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, identity theft and access device fraud.
The FBI alleged that Olorunyomi operated romance fraud schemes that often targeted vulnerable elderly individuals and widows.
Authorities claimed that he defrauded several victims of more than $1 million and that the bank accounts of some alleged victims were later used by co-conspirators to receive proceeds from other fraud schemes.
According to the FBI, Olorunyomi was indicted on November 13, 2019, by the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska. A federal arrest warrant was issued on November 14, 2019.
FBI says suspects linked to $6m fraud losses
The FBI maintained that all four men were connected to a BEC scheme that caused more than $6 million in losses to over 70 businesses in the United States.
Business Email Compromise is a form of cybercrime in which fraudsters impersonate trusted individuals or organisations through email to trick victims into sending money or sensitive information.
The publication of the suspects' names and details forms part of the FBI's efforts to locate and apprehend individuals wanted in connection with international cybercrime investigations.
In a similar story, Legit.ng published that the US FBI described the physical appearance of the four Nigerian men on the cybercrime wanted list.
US wanted list: Released age of Nigerian
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the FBI released the name, age, and date of birth of a Nigerian man on its wanted list over federal charges, including bank fraud and identity theft.
The man allegedly used stolen details of US citizens to open fraudulent bank and charge accounts in Illinois.
Source: Legit.ng
