What you need to know about the 6 Nigerians declared wanted by U.S over $6m wire fraud
The United States Department of States on Tuesday declared six Nigerians wanted after they were indicted in Nebraska for their alleged involvement in elaborate cyber fraud targeting email addresses of business executives to get wire transfers and also posing as love interests to scam others.
Their mode of operation is similar to Obinwanne Okeke (Invictus Obi) who was arrested in the U.S in August 2019 for fraud targeting email addresses of business executives to divert funds to his personal account and his co-conspirators.
The U.S Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, in a statement on Tuesday said Americans lost more than $6 million to the heinous crimes perpetrated by these individuals.
“The six individuals designated today manipulated their victims to gain access to their sensitive information and financial resources,” Pompeo said.
The Secretary of State warned that the U.S. will not tolerate such “gross misuse of technology” and added that the nation will use all of the tools at its disposal to defend the American people and businesses from malign actors that seek to target them, including cyber-enabled actors who prey on vulnerable Americans and businesses.
Although Pompeo did not give the name of the suspects in his statement, Neusroom findings revealed that the six are Richard Uzuh, Michael Olorunyomi, Alex Ogunshakin, Felix Okpoh, Abiola Kayode and Nnamdi Benson as seen in another news release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the crimes were committed in Nebraska.
When Neusroom checked the website of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), posters declaring the six suspects wanted have been uploaded and it revealed that a warrant for their arrest had been issued by a Federal District Court since 2019.
According to FBI, they are wanted for their alleged involvement in a Business Email Compromise (BEC) scheme that defrauded over 70 different businesses in the Nebraska U.S resulting in combined losses of over $6 million.
Here is their profile and crimes according to the FBI:
1. Felix Osilama Okpoh (aka Junior)
Born on March 9, 1989, the FBI said Okpoh allegedly provided hundreds of bank accounts to Richard Izuchukwu Uzuh and other co-conspirators, Alex Afolabi Ogunshakin, Abiola Ayorinde Kayode, and Nnamdi Orson Benson that were used to receive fraudulent wire transfers.
Bank accounts that Okpoh allegedly provided to Uzuh received fraudulent wire transfers from victim businesses totaling over $1 million. On August 21, 2019, Okpoh was indicted in the United States District Court, District of Nebraska, Omaha, Nebraska, on charges of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and a federal warrant for his arrest was issued on August 22, 2019.
2. Richard Izuchukwu Uzuh:
Born April 29, 1986, Uzuh, according to the FBI is believed to currently reside in Nigeria where he receives illicit wire transfer from his co-conspirators in the U.S.
The FBI statement said: “Uzuh allegedly worked with money launderers, romance scammers, and others involved in BEC schemes to launder the proceeds of their crimes through a complex network of witting and unwitting people in the United States and abroad.”
On October 18, 2016, he was indicted in the United States District Court, District of Nebraska, Omaha, Nebraska, on charges of Wire Fraud and Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, and on October 19, 2016, a federal warrant was issued for his arrest.
According to indictments, between 2015 and September 26, 2016, Uzuh and one Adewale Aniyeloye allegedly spoofed email addresses, posing as real CEOs or other business executives, to direct employees to make wire transfers from business accounts.
What you need to know about the six Nigerians declared wanted by U.S over $6 million wire fraud
The United States Department of States on Tuesday declared six Nigerians wanted after they were indicted in Nebraska for their alleged involvement in elaborate cyber fraud targeting email addresses of business executives to get wire transfers and also posing as love interests to scam others.
Their mode of operation is similar to Obinwanne Okeke (Invictus Obi) who was arrested in the U.S in August 2019 for fraud targeting email addresses of business executives to divert funds to his personal account and his co-conspirators.
The U.S Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, in a statement on Tuesday said Americans lost more than $6 million to the heinous crimes perpetrated by these individuals.
“The six individuals designated today manipulated their victims to gain access to their sensitive information and financial resources,” Pompeo said.
The Secretary of State warned that the U.S. will not tolerate such “gross misuse of technology” and added that the nation will use all of the tools at its disposal to defend the American people and businesses from malign actors that seek to target them, including cyber-enabled actors who prey on vulnerable Americans and businesses.
Although Pompeo did not give the name of the suspects in his statement, Neusroom findings revealed that the six are Richard Uzuh, Michael Olorunyomi, Alex Ogunshakin, Felix Okpoh, Abiola Kayode and Nnamdi Benson as seen in another news release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the crimes were committed in Nebraska.
When Neusroom checked the website of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), posters declaring the six suspects wanted have been uploaded and it revealed that a warrant for their arrest had been issued by a Federal District Court since 2019.
According to FBI, they are wanted for their alleged involvement in a Business Email Compromise (BEC) scheme that defrauded over 70 different businesses in the Nebraska U.S resulting in combined losses of over $6 million.
Here is their profile and crimes according to the FBI:
1. Felix Osilama Okpoh (aka Junior)
Born on March 9, 1989, the FBI said Okpoh allegedly provided hundreds of bank accounts to Richard Izuchukwu Uzuh and other co-conspirators, Alex Afolabi Ogunshakin, Abiola Ayorinde Kayode, and Nnamdi Orson Benson that were used to receive fraudulent wire transfers.
Bank accounts that Okpoh allegedly provided to Uzuh received fraudulent wire transfers from victim businesses totaling over $1 million. On August 21, 2019, Okpoh was indicted in the United States District Court, District of Nebraska, Omaha, Nebraska, on charges of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and a federal warrant for his arrest was issued on August 22, 2019.
2. Richard Izuchukwu Uzuh
Born April 29, 1986, Uzuh, according to the FBI is believed to currently reside in Nigeria where he receives illicit wire transfer from his co-conspirators in the U.S.
The FBI statement said: “Uzuh allegedly worked with money launderers, romance scammers, and others involved in BEC schemes to launder the proceeds of their crimes through a complex network of witting and unwitting people in the United States and abroad.”
On October 18, 2016, he was indicted in the United States District Court, District of Nebraska, Omaha, Nebraska, on charges of Wire Fraud and Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, and on October 19, 2016, a federal warrant was issued for his arrest.
According to indictments, between 2015 and September 26, 2016, Uzuh and one Adewale Aniyeloye allegedly spoofed email addresses, posing as real CEOs or other business executives, to direct employees to make wire transfers from business accounts.
Two unnamed companies in Nebraska together lost more than $530,000 before realizing it was a scam, prosecutors say. Aniyeloye has been sentenced to jail in the U.S alongside two others – Pelumi Fawehinmi and Onome Ijomone, and ordered to pay restitution ranging from $508,934 to $1.57 million.
3. Alex Afolabi Ogunshakin
Alex, 37, is believed to currently reside in Nigeria.
He is wanted for allegedly providing bank accounts to Richard Izuchukwu Uzuh, and other co-conspirators that were used to receive fraudulent wire transfers.
After receiving training from Uzuh and other suspected fraudsters, FBI said Ogunshakin allegedly later conducted his own BEC schemes. A warrant for his arrest was issued on August 22, 2019.
4. Abiola Ayorinde Kayode:
The FBI gave his aliases as “ABK”, “Ginger”. The 33-year-old allegedly provided bank accounts to others that were used to receive fraudulent wire transfers. He also allegedly conducted BEC and romance fraud schemes himself. A warrant for his arrest was issued on August 22, 2019.
Kayode is also believed to currently reside in Nigeria.
5. Nnamdi Orson Benson, “Namo”
The 33-year-old cyber fraud suspect is also believed to currently reside in Nigeria.
Benson also allegedly conducted romance fraud and advanced fee fraud schemes himself. The FBI said Benson, along with Alex Afolabi Ogunshakin, Felix Osilama Okpoh, and Abiola Ayorinde Kayode, were indicted by a District Court in Nebraska on August 21, 2019, while a warrant for arrest was issued on October 21.
6. Michael Ayomide Olorunyomi
The FBI gave his aliases of the 37-year-old suspect as “Ayo”, “A.Y.” and said he is believed to currently reside in Nigeria.
Olorunyomi allegedly conducted romance fraud schemes often targeting vulnerable elders or widows. He and his co-conspirators are alleged to have made off with more than $1 million by creating fictitious profiles on dating websites and posing as someone looking for love.
He allegedly defrauded several victims and also sent the bank accounts of many of his alleged romance scam victims to other co-conspirators to be used to receive fraudulent wire transfers from other fraud schemes. A warrant for his arrest was issued on November 14, 2019.
