International investment scam laundered funds through US bank accounts before being sent to Nigeria.
It turns out that the fake Nigerian prince/government official/businessman who wants you to invest in a sure thing has a real name. Osondu Victor Igwilo, 49, of Lagos, Nigeria, was charged in a federal complaint filed in the Southern District of Texas in December 2016 and unsealed yesterday.
Igwilo is charged with one count of wire fraud conspiracy, one count of money laundering conspiracy, and one count of aggravated identity theft. According to the complaint, Igwilo recruited teams of individuals to send scam emails claiming to be from BB&T Corporation.
He then sent US citizens he had recruited to visit the victims in person to finalize the scam and retrieve funds, which were then laundered through US bank accounts before being sent to Nigeria. The total amount of the victims' losses were not disclosed by the Department of Justice in announcing the indictment.
Eight other individuals have been charged in connection with the scheme. Four await sentencing, two are pending trial, one is pending extradition, and one remains a fugitive.
Igwilo also remains a fugitive.
Read more details here.
About the Author(s)
You May Also Like
Securing Code in the Age of AI
April 24, 2024Beyond Spam Filters and Firewalls: Preventing Business Email Compromises in the Modern Enterprise
April 30, 2024Key Findings from the State of AppSec Report 2024
May 7, 2024Is AI Identifying Threats to Your Network?
May 14, 2024Where and Why Threat Intelligence Makes Sense for Your Enterprise Security Strategy
May 15, 2024
Black Hat USA - August 3-8 - Learn More
August 3, 2024Cybersecurity's Hottest New Technologies: What You Need To Know
March 21, 2024