Authorities in the United States have dismantled a massive international email fraud operation that defrauded over 1,000 victims across 19 countries of approximately $215 million, leading to multiple convictions, including several Nigerians.
According to the US Attorney’s Office, 25 individuals were convicted on April 24 for their roles in the scheme, widely known as business email compromise (BEC), which involves hacking into email accounts to deceive victims into making fraudulent payments.
Among those convicted were four Nigerian nationals — Emmanuel Okereke (aka Omo Igbo), Olalekan Bashiru (aka Ola Bash), Jeremiah Agina, and Ademola Balogun. Five others — Ayobami Osas Christopher (aka Lovely Man), Ayorinde Emmanuel Adebayo, Olabode Bankole, Chukwuemeka Evulukwu, and Kingsley Owusu — were identified as naturalised US citizens of Nigerian descent. Another suspect, Oluwafemi Michael Awoyemi, was listed in a related trial.
Court documents revealed that the syndicate gained unauthorized access to victims’ email accounts, monitored communications, and then sent convincingly crafted messages requesting payments under the guise of legitimate business transactions.
The stolen funds were laundered through a network of fraudulent bank accounts and money transfer systems. About $50 million was converted into cashier’s cheques and processed through a Chicago-area currency exchange operated by a co-defendant, who allegedly ignored warnings about suspicious transactions.
Victims of the scheme were spread across several countries, including the US, UK, Canada, Germany, UAE, Australia, and others. In one case, a business transferred $2.7 million to a fraudulent account controlled by the group.
Authorities also seized assets linked to the operation, including nearly $1.2 million in cash and cryptocurrency, luxury watches worth tens of thousands of dollars, and a residential property in Georgia.
The investigation was carried out by the FBI, the US Postal Inspection Service, and other agencies. Sentencing for the convicted individuals will be determined based on their roles, criminal histories, and other factors.