Welcome, Guest: Register On Nairaland / LOGIN! / Trending / Recent / NewStats: 3,194,796 members, 7,956,041 topics. Date: Sunday, 22 September 2024 at 10:10 PM |
Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Crime / US Names Nigerians In Massive Fraud Investigation (269 Views)
Faces Of Nigerians In Cuffs For Massive Fraud In The US. (photos) / Thai Police Focus On All 1,400 Nigerians For Fraud Investigation, 5 Arrested / Cameroonian Returnee Names Nigerians As Part Of Masterminds (2) (3) (4)
(1) (Reply)
US Names Nigerians In Massive Fraud Investigation by Realslimshady(m): 1:59pm On Aug 23, 2019 |
The US authorities have charged 80 people, "most
of whom are Nigerian nationals", with participating
in a conspiracy to steal millions of dollars,
prosecutors say.
They are accused of using business email fraud
schemes and romance scams to con victims -
many of them elderly.
Police have so far arrested 14 suspects across the
US, 11 in Los Angeles alone.
The authorities say it is one of the "largest cases of
its kind in US history".
The FBI investigation is a major step to disrupt
criminal networks, US Attorney Nick Hanna said.
"This case is part of our ongoing efforts to protect
Americans from fraudulent online schemes and to
bring to justice those who prey upon American
citizens and businesses," he added.
The FBI started investigating the case in 2016 in a
single bank account but it later extended to cover
multiple victims in the US and around the world.
All the 80 defendants have been charged with
conspiracy to commit fraud, conspiracy to launder
money, and aggravated identity theft , the US
Attorney's Office in the Central District of California
said in a press.
Two Nigerian nationals, identified as Valentine Iro
and Chukwudi Christogunus Igbokwe, who are part
of those arrested in the US, have been named as
co-conspirators working with others in the US and
in Nigeria, to obtain money from victims and then
transfer it abroad.
They managed to fraudulently obtain $6m (£5m) in
a conspiracy aimed at stealing $46m, the US
Attorney's Office alleges.
The remaining 66 defendants are believed to be
abroad, "with most them located in Nigeria", the
authorities say.
The suspects used illicit money exchangers to
move money to Nigeria, generally avoiding
transferring the funds directly through banking
institutions, the indictment says.
The authorities have listed a total of 252 charges
against the 80 suspects.
One of the victims, a Japanese woman named FK in
court papers, was conned out of $200,000 after
being contacted by a fraudster identifying
themselves as US Capt Terry Garcia who wanted to
smuggle diamonds out of Syria.
She made 35 to 40 payments, receiving as many as
10 to 15 emails a day directing her to send money
to accounts in the US, Turkey and the United
Kingdom through the captain's many purported
associates , the LA Times reports. |
Re: US Names Nigerians In Massive Fraud Investigation by Realslimshady(m): 1:59pm On Aug 23, 2019 |
Cc lalasticlala |
(1) (Reply)
Why I Killed My Mother-in-law, Two Others” – Suspect Narrates / Pls Help Judge This / Crime: Two Business Man Alleged Stealing Empty Crates Of Trophy Beer
(Go Up)
Sections: politics (1) business autos (1) jobs (1) career education (1) romance computers phones travel sports fashion health religion celebs tv-movies music-radio literature webmasters programming techmarket Links: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) Nairaland - Copyright © 2005 - 2024 Oluwaseun Osewa. All rights reserved. See How To Advertise. 11 |