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FBI Requests EFCC's Assistance To Arrest Two Nigerians For Stealing $13Million From American Healthcare Providers
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October 4, 2024
News

The United States of America’s Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has asked Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to track down and arrest two Nigerians, Babatunde Shodiya and Yinka Jamiu, who were declared wanted for allegedly using a fake website to defraud American healthcare providers of $13 million, People’s Gazette.

Shodiya (43) and Jamiu (31) were indicted by the United States for their alleged involvement in a $13 million fraudulent business email scheme targeting healthcare companies in Minnesota.

They were indicted on September 25 by a grand jury in the U.S. District Court for Minnesota for their role in a scheme that defrauded several healthcare providers between October 2020 and 2024.

The U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger said that Shodiya and Jamiu manipulated unsuspecting employees of several Minnesota-based healthcare firms, deceiving them into redirecting payments to fraudulent accounts.

Luger said, “As part of the scheme, Babatunde and Ahmed created a fake ‘spoofed’ internet domain designed to appear as though it was controlled by Fairview Health.”

The Attorney added, “Unbeknownst to the vendor companies, the new accounts were actually controlled by Babatunde and Ahmed and their co-conspirators, not Fairview Health.

“In total, Babatunde and Ahmed fraudulently directed more than $13m in payments intended for Fairview Health from Minnesota-based healthcare companies to accounts controlled by Babatunde, Ahmed, and their co-conspirators.”

Peoples Gazette reports that the U.S. authorities have confirmed that the suspects are Nigerian citizens and are residing in Nigeria.

Sources familiar with the matter reportedly said that American officials have communicated their concerns to Nigeria’s EFCC.

“The U.S. officials reached out to us and informed us that the suspects are believed to be hiding in Nigeria,” an EFCC officer, who spoke to People’s Gazette on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the investigation, said.

The EFCC source added, “We have a duty to honor this request in line with our long-standing collaboration with the U.S. in addressing cross-border crimes.”

Shodiya and Jamiu allegedly exploited Optum Pay, a widely used payment system among health service providers in Minnesota, by creating a fake domain to manipulate payment transfers.

They set up the counterfeit website, fairviewhospitals.org, through which they impersonated key officials within the hospital network, including the CEO, executive vice president, and a business analyst, by creating fraudulent email accounts.

Using these fake email addresses, the pair sent phishing emails to Fairview Health employees, tricking them into providing login credentials.

For their role in impersonating Fairview’s executives, Shodiya faces an additional charge of aggravated identity theft, in addition to the wire fraud charges.

[color=orange]SaharaReporters[/color]

Shodiya (43) and Jamiu (31) were indicted by the United States for their alleged involvement in a $13 million fraudulent business email scheme targeting healthcare companies in Minnesota.

This crime they committed against the people of Minnesota, their colleagues in politics are doing the same to Nigerians, especially that one presiding over hardship who once hired a lady to attend CSU for him while he sold heroin on the streets

Babatunde Shodiya and Yinka Jamiu

See Hush puppi dem dey always destroy the country name abroad. Making Visa hard for good people with the Nigerian passport.

Nigerians and fraud are inseparable.

EmekaBlue:
Na dem dey destroy the country name abroad. Making Visa hard for people with the Nigerian passport

Are the ones here making it more easier?

Treasure17:
Are the ones here making it more easier?

I no dey even look the ones here because as they are incharge now Nigeria come be like e don die. Only $600 is now #1,000,000.

The green passport keeps getting worthless by the second!

The government needs to start dealing with this yahoo boys

OLAADEGBU:
Babatunde Shodiya and Yinka Jamiu

Let me be the first to congratulate them on their future coronation and elections victory as Oluwo of Iwo and Ogun state governor respectively.

They must have japa-da and are hiding among their people somewhere in oduduwa land.

This thread? They will so abuse themselves.

Them too dey do worse to nations resources and economy for example the loan we took from this assholes has made our economy a mess knowing fully well this politicians will siphon the money .

This ones have become yahoo tycoons.

Court Jails 39 Internet Fraudsters In Ebonyi, To Auction Their Phones
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October 4, 2024
News

A Federal High Court sitting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, has convicted and sentenced at least 39 internet fraudsters to different jail terms.

The convicts were arraigned by the Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The Court presided over by Justices H. I. O. Oshomah and M. T. Segun-Bello jailed the convicts after pleading guilty to a one-count separate charges bordering on obtaining by false presence, personation and possession of fraudulent documents.

The convicts are; Udeh Chimuanya John, Nnadi Raphael Ogomegbunam, Ani Mmesoma Emmanuel, Benjamin Obinna Ezema, Onoja Chukwuemeka Miracle, Frank Egesionu, Nze Uchenna Divine,ss Ikegwu Matthew Chukwuma, Ugwu Henry Izuchukwu, Chidiobi Kelechi Sylvester, Erozona Emmanuel Omeya, Aruma Chidiebere Emmanuel, Amaechi Shiloh Chukwuelotam, Ajibo Sunday Chiweokwu, Amadi Mbakaogu, Emeka Ogwa, Miracle Ezema Ebube, Nwobodo Joel Obinna, Eze Emmanuel, Raymond Ugochukwu Emmanuel and Amah Matthew Olumachi.

Others include; Oparaukwu Udoka Justice, Philip Nnabuike Ozoani, Chukwueze Emmanuel Onuh, David Emeka, Henry Chinenyerem Ogbodo, Ebube Testimony Omeje, Emmanuel Stanley Odoh, Terzungwe Isaac Utor, Tersoo Stanley Ukume, Ugwu Christian Tochukwu, Omeje Favour Chimdalu, Henry Abara Ekom, Ajibo Kingsley Ebube, Nuka Christian Lucky, Obioha Chidiebube Gratus, Eze Marcel Uchenna, Enwu Stephen Chimdindu and Chinedu Nelson.

The charge against Ezema reads: “That you, Benjamin Obinna Ezema, sometime in September, 2024 in Nsukka, Enugu State within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, fraudulently impersonated one Patricia Lambert, a foreign national, through a fake Telegram account via your IPhone 14 Pro mobile phone, with intent to gain advantage for yourself from your unsuspecting victims and you thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 22 (3) (a) and (b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention Etc.) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 22 (4) of the same Act”.

The Charge against Chidera reads: “That you, Ezeh Emmanuel Chidera, sometime in 2024 in Enugu, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, fraudulently impersonated the identity of Wei Yiming, a male foreigner and citizen of United Arab Emirates who works as a Chief Medical Officer, via your Tecno Spark 7, with intent to obtain money from unsuspecting foreign nationals and in order to gain advantage for yourself and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 (3) (a) (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention Etc.) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 22 (4) of the same Act”.

Dele Oyewale the EFCC Head of Media and Publicity stated that the convicts pleaded guilty when the charges were read to them separately and in view of their pleas, Michael Ikechukwu Ani prayed the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.

However, the defence counsel; Wisdom Ogbonna, B. E. Enyiagu, C. C. Osi-Ogbonna, Remy Agu and E. C. Chinenyeze pleaded for leniency and to temper justice with mercy, adding that the convicts were remorseful, as they have learnt their lessons.

Justice H. I. O. Oshomah, on Monday, September 23, 2024, convicted and sentenced 30 of the convicts to two years imprisonment each with an option of fine of N150,000 except Ukume who was given an option of fine of N200,000.

On Friday, September 27, 2024, Justice M. T. Segun-Bello, convicted and sentenced Tochukwu, Ebube, Lucky, Gratus, Uchenna, Chimdindu, Nelson, Ekom and Chimdalu to three years imprisonment each with an option of fine of N100,000.

Justice Oshomah further made the following orders; Odoh was ordered to forfeit to the Federal Government, his three plots of land located at Sweetvilla Phase 3 in Tagbati, Ibeju Lekki, Lagos State;

Ukume was ordered to forfeit the sum of N2,873,295.00 to the Federal Government and Utor was ordered to forfeit the sum of N1,000,000.

The Justices also ordered that their mobile phones be auctioned by the Deputy Court Registrar of the court and proceeds paid into the Treasury Single Account of the Federation. Convicts were also ordered to submit their Bank Verification Numbers and their National Identification Numbers to the court which will also be verified by the Deputy Court Registrar after which they will swear to affidavits of good behaviour and another affidavit, showing that they have complied with the submission of their particulars.

The convicts were remanded at the Abakaliki Correctional facility, until they comply with the conditions.

The convicts were arrested on September 9, 2024 in Nsukka and Enugu metropolis by operatives of the Commission, following actionable intelligence linking them to cybercrime activities.

[color=orange]SaharaReporters[/color]

The Court presided over by Justices H. I. O. Oshomah and M. T. Segun-Bello jailed the convicts after pleading guilty to a one-count separate charges bordering on obtaining by false presence, personation and possession of fraudulent documents.