By Shola Abayomi.
The United States Government has released names of 80 Nigerians indicted in massive online fraud and money laundering in the country.
The US authorities fingered Valentine Iro, 31, and Chukwudi Christogunus Igbokwe, 38, as lead suspects in the case, while also disclosing the strategies used by the alleged fraudsters in swindling innocent citizens.
According to a statement by the US attorney, Nick Hanna, the suspects used illegitimate money exchangers to move funds overseas.
“The suspects often used illicit money exchangers to move funds overseas, generally avoiding transferring the funds directly through banking institutions.
“To do this, Iro and Igbokwe coordinated the transfer of a victim’s funds from a fraudulent bank account they controlled to US bank accounts belonging to illicit money exchangers.
“Those money exchangers, in turn, used a Nigerian banking application to transfer other funds in naira (₦), the currency of Nigeria, from Nigerian bank accounts they controlled to the Nigerian bank accounts specified by Iro and Igbokwe,” he said.
The US attorney added that the indictment sends a message to fraudsters who prey on innocent citizens hoping not to get caught.
“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.
“Today, we have taken a major step to disrupt criminal networks that use BEC schemes, romance scams and other frauds to fleece victims. This indictment sends a message that we will identify perpetrators – no matter where they reside – and we will cut off the flow of ill-gotten gains”, he stated.
See the names of 80 Nigerian suspects indicted in the case:
