Man
Professional
- Messages
- 3,077
- Reaction score
- 614
- Points
- 113
The court sentenced the author of a major postal scam.
A Nigerian man was sentenced to 10 years in prison in the United States for stealing almost $ 20 million using cyber fraud. Babatunde Francis Aeni, 33, who previously lived in the UK, pleaded guilty and received his sentence this week.
Aeni, along with two co-conspirators, Faithisayo Ogunsanwo and Yousuf Lasisi, orchestrated a Business Email Compromise (BEC) scheme aimed at real estate transactions in the United States. Criminals sent phishing emails with malicious attachments to employees of real estate agencies, lawyers, and real estate companies. Having gained access to credentials, fraudsters monitored correspondence and intercepted messages about upcoming transfers. Then, on behalf of the companies, they sent fake payment details to buyers, sending funds to their accounts.
Among more than 400 victims, 231 people were never able to return their money transferred to the accounts of the attackers. The total damage was $19,599,969.46. It was especially difficult for people who lost all their savings to buy a home. Many victims presented their statements to the court, talking about shame and depression after losing money.
The case materials mention cases when victims lost more than $100,000. The money received by the criminals was used to buy bitcoins through Coinbase, which was then transferred to 3 different addresses. Among the victims was one of the real estate companies in Alabama.
Two of Aeni's accomplices, Ogunsanwo and Lasisi, are still at large. Ogunsanwo is known to have spent $40,000 of stolen funds at a Louis Vuitton store in Dubai.
Nigeria often comes to the attention of the media after news of the arrest of cybercriminals from this country. For example, in September 2023, a Nigerian was extradited to the United States in a case of participating in a BEC fraudulent scheme. For conspiracy in the field of fraud and money laundering, the man faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. In another case, a Nigerian national was arrested for the BEC fraud that resulted in a U.S. charity losing more than $7.5 million.
Source
A Nigerian man was sentenced to 10 years in prison in the United States for stealing almost $ 20 million using cyber fraud. Babatunde Francis Aeni, 33, who previously lived in the UK, pleaded guilty and received his sentence this week.
Aeni, along with two co-conspirators, Faithisayo Ogunsanwo and Yousuf Lasisi, orchestrated a Business Email Compromise (BEC) scheme aimed at real estate transactions in the United States. Criminals sent phishing emails with malicious attachments to employees of real estate agencies, lawyers, and real estate companies. Having gained access to credentials, fraudsters monitored correspondence and intercepted messages about upcoming transfers. Then, on behalf of the companies, they sent fake payment details to buyers, sending funds to their accounts.
Among more than 400 victims, 231 people were never able to return their money transferred to the accounts of the attackers. The total damage was $19,599,969.46. It was especially difficult for people who lost all their savings to buy a home. Many victims presented their statements to the court, talking about shame and depression after losing money.
The case materials mention cases when victims lost more than $100,000. The money received by the criminals was used to buy bitcoins through Coinbase, which was then transferred to 3 different addresses. Among the victims was one of the real estate companies in Alabama.
Two of Aeni's accomplices, Ogunsanwo and Lasisi, are still at large. Ogunsanwo is known to have spent $40,000 of stolen funds at a Louis Vuitton store in Dubai.
Nigeria often comes to the attention of the media after news of the arrest of cybercriminals from this country. For example, in September 2023, a Nigerian was extradited to the United States in a case of participating in a BEC fraudulent scheme. For conspiracy in the field of fraud and money laundering, the man faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. In another case, a Nigerian national was arrested for the BEC fraud that resulted in a U.S. charity losing more than $7.5 million.
Source
