A 35-year-old Nigerian, Olamide Shanu, has pleaded guilty in the United States to his role in international sextortion and romance fraud schemes that targeted about 150 Americans and generated more than $2.5 million in proceeds, according to US prosecutors.
Shanu pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering after allegedly working with co-conspirators who defrauded victims through sextortion and romance scams. The schemes resulted in millions of dollars in losses to victims.
In the sextortion scheme, Shanu and others allegedly targeted male victims by persuading them to send sexual images and then threatening to distribute the images to their friends and family unless they paid money.
The group also allegedly operated romance scams by creating fake identities on social media and building relationships with victims, including older men and women. After gaining their trust, the fraudsters allegedly asked victims to send money to meet supposedly urgent financial needs.
Prosecutors said money obtained from the schemes was moved through peer-to-peer payment applications and cryptocurrency wallets before being transferred to co-conspirators in Nigeria.
“This case exposes a sophisticated international scheme that exploited Americans through sextortion and romance fraud, laundering millions in criminal proceeds,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
“This prosecution demonstrates our unwavering commitment to holding cybercriminals accountable, no matter where they operate in the world,” said U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis for the District of Idaho.
Shanu was extradited from Nigeria to the United States and is due to be sentenced on December 15. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
“This guilty plea is an important step toward justice for the victims harmed by this international scheme and reflects the Secret Service’s commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and hold accountable those who use cyber-enabled fraud to target Americans,” said Assistant Director Brent Daniels of the U.S. Secret Service’s Office of Field Operations.
- Media Report