FEATURES
Nigerian Man Defrauds 150 Americans of $2.5M in Romance, Sextortion Scam – FBI
A 35-year-old Nigerian national, Olamide Shanu, has pleaded guilty in the United States to conspiracy to commit money laundering over his alleged involvement in an international romance and sextortion fraud scheme that targeted about 150 Americans.
US prosecutors said Shanu generated more than $2.5 million from the schemes, which reportedly caused millions of dollars in losses to victims.
According to court documents, Shanu and his co-conspirators targeted male victims through sextortion scams, allegedly persuading them to send sexually explicit images before threatening to distribute the material to their friends and relatives unless they paid money.
The group also allegedly operated romance scams, using fake identities on social media to establish relationships with victims, including older men and women, before convincing them to send money to meet purported urgent financial needs.
Prosecutors said the illicit proceeds were laundered through peer-to-peer payment platforms and cryptocurrency wallets before being transferred to co-conspirators in Nigeria.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the US Justice Department’s Criminal Division described the operation as a sophisticated international scheme that exploited Americans through sextortion and romance fraud.
US Attorney for the District of Idaho, Bart M. Davis, said the prosecution demonstrated the commitment of American authorities to holding cybercriminals accountable regardless of where they operate.
Shanu was extradited from Nigeria to the United States and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 15. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The US Secret Service and Boise Police Department are investigating the case.
Assistant Director Brent Daniels of the Secret Service’s Office of Field Operations said Shanu’s guilty plea represented an important step toward justice for victims of the scheme.
Oborevwori Breaks Ground For $70m Olam Agri Feed Mill In Delta, 450,000 Tonnes Poultry Feed Annually
Oborevwori Celebrates Jim Ovia At 75, Hails Zenith Bank Founder As Visionary
US Midterm: What Democrats’ Win Means for Tinubu, APC and Nigeria’s 2027 Election
Uzere Oil Spill: Isoko South Chairman Commends Oborevwori for Swift Medical Intervention
OPINION: OCHEI’S DEBATE CHALLENGE IS STILL OKOWA’S SHOW, BY NORBERT CHIAZOR
DSS Releases 4 Suspected IPOB Members, Pays N20m Compensation
Police Rescue Nigerian Woman Sold For ₦770,000 In Mali, Arrest 3 Suspects
EFCC Arraigns Man Over Alleged N238.3m Fraud in Lagos
EFCC Uncovers Chinese-Operated Illegal Oil Refinery in Ogun, Recovers Diesel
Afreximbank, Benin Showcase Industrial Zone Turning Raw Cotton to Finished Garments for Global Brands
Alibaba Powers First Youth Olympic Games in Africa with Cloud, AI for Dakar 2026
Isoko Endorses Tinubu, Oborevwori for 2027, Confers Orhuerevwo, Ododo Titles on Governor, Wife
US Property Records Show Ex-Finance Minister Zainab Ahmed Acquired $765k Maryland Home 6 Months After Leaving Office — Report
Ondo Police Raid Fake Dollar Factory, Arrest Suspect, Recover Three Bags of Notes
OKOWA’S ACHIEVEMENTS AS DELTA GOVERNOR: EDUCATION, HEALTH, INFRASTRUCTURE, BY SIR CHURCHILL AJUSAH
