The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI indicts 80 people and mostly Nigerians, in what they tagged the biggest internet scams burst in U.S history.
According to a report by CNN, FBI indicts 80 people, most of them Nigerians, and are being charged in the United States with being part of a widespread conspiracy that stole millions of dollars from businesses and elderly individuals through a variety of scams then laundered the money.
Law enforcement officers arrested 14 people in the United States on Thursday, the US Attorney in Los Angeles told reporters while announcing a 252-count indictment that was unsealed. At least three other defendants were already in custody.
Six defendants living in the United States are fugitives.
The remaining defendants live in other countries, principally Nigeria.
“Today’s announcement highlights the extensive efforts that organized criminal groups will engage in to perpetrate (business compromise email) schemes that target American citizens and their hard-earned assets,” said Assistant Director in Charge Paul Delacourt of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Billions of dollars are lost annually, and we urge citizens to be aware of these sophisticated financial schemes to protect themselves or their businesses from becoming unsuspecting victims.
All defendants #80nigerians will face charges of conspiracy to commit fraud, conspiracy to launder money, and aggravated identity theft. Some also will face fraud and money laundering charges, CNN had reported on Friday.
The arrest comes few days after Forbes celebrated Nigerian young billionaire, Obinwanne Okeke popularly known as Invictus Obi was arrested over $12 million internet scam.
Okeke, named by Forbes in 2016 as one of the world’s 30 Entrepreneurs under the age of 30 to watch, was accused of milking a branch of U.S. owned Caterpillar subsidiary in the UK of $11.5m, among other fraudulent acts committed.
The investigation began in 2016 with one victim and a single bank account, said Paul Delacourt, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles office.
Among the people arrested are Valentine Iro, 31, of Carson, and Chukwudi Christogunus Igbokwe, 38, of Gardena, both Nigerian citizens.
Others are: Jerry Ikogho, 50, of Carson (who was taken into custody on Sunday), and Adegoke Moses Ogungbe, 34, of Fontana, who were indicted as illicit money exchangers for the conspiracy.
In addition, Iro, Igbokwe, Ikogho, Ogungbe and three other defendants –Izuchukwu Kingsley Umejesi, 30, of Los Angeles, Tityaye Marina Mansbangura, 33, of Palmdale, and Obi Madekwe, 31, of Nigeria – are charged with operating illegal money transmitting businesses.
Ogungbe and Mansbangura were also among those arrested this morning, and Umejesi is a fugitive currently being sought by authorities.
The FBI statement also stated that Iro, Igbokwe and Chuks Eroha, 39, face additional charges for attempting to destroy their phones when the FBI executed a search warrant in July 2017.
Iro also is charged with lying to the FBI in an interview conducted during the search.
The complaint alleges that, when the FBI arrived to conduct the court-authorized search at Iro’s apartment in Carson, Iro broke his phone in half, while Igbokwe and Eroha threw phones from a bedroom window of the apartment.
While Iro claimed he previously had broken the phone during an argument with his wife, the complaint details how the FBI was able to determine that the phone was operational until seconds after the FBI knocked on Iro’s apartment door to execute the search warrant.
Eroha is believed to have fled to Nigeria shortly after the FBI executed the warrant.