Damian Williams, United States Lawyer for the Southern District of New York, introduced that CHIBUNDU JOSEPH ANUEBUNWA was sentenced immediately in Manhattan Federal Courtroom to 66 months in jail for his position in fraudulent mail compromise scams digital professionals who’ve focused 1000’s of victims world wide. together with in america. Collectively, the scams tried to defraud victims of greater than $3.5 million, leading to victims’ precise losses of greater than $2.5 million. On June 29, 2023, ANUEBUNWA pleaded responsible to taking part in a wire fraud conspiracy earlier than U.S. District Decide Paul A. Crotty, who imposed immediately’s sentence. As a part of the identical conspiracy as ANUEBUNWA, co-accused DAVID CHUKWUNEKE ADINDU has already been sentenced to 41 months in jail, and co-accused ONYEKACHI EMMANUEL OPARA was extradited from South Africa and sentenced to 5 years in jail.
U.S. Lawyer Damian Williams stated: “From midway world wide, Chibundu Joseph Anuebunwa tried to victimize 1000’s of individuals by stealing hundreds of thousands of {dollars} utilizing fraudulent and misleading emails despatched to firm staff in america. -United and elsewhere. He’ll now spend time in jail for these critical crimes. “At present’s sentence ought to deter fraudsters outdoors america who could also be tempted to steal cash from American victims by way of cyberattacks and e mail scams.”
In keeping with publicly filed courtroom paperwork and statements made in public hearings:
Between 2014 and 2016, ANUEBUNWA, OPARA, and ADINDU participated in enterprise e mail compromise scams (“BEC scams”) focusing on 1000’s of victims world wide, together with in america. ANUEBUNWA despatched faux emails to staff of varied firms ordering funds to be transferred to specified financial institution accounts. The emails purported to come back from supervisors at these firms or from third-party distributors who did enterprise with these firms. The emails, nevertheless, weren’t legit. Somewhat, both they got here from e mail accounts with a website title similar to a legit area title, or the metadata within the emails had been altered in order that the emails appeared as in the event that they got here from legit e mail addresses. After the victims complied with the fraudulent switch directions, the transferred funds have been shortly withdrawn or transferred to completely different financial institution accounts. In complete, BEC scams tried to defraud victims of greater than $3.5 million, leading to victims’ precise losses of greater than $2.5 million.
ANUEBUNWA was arrested on March 16, 2021 in the UK and extradited to the Southern District of New York on Might 20, 2022.
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Along with the jail sentence, ANUEBUNWA, 30, of Lagos, Nigeria, was ordered to pay $2.5 million in restitution.
Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr Williams additionally thanked the UK authorities and the Yahoo E-Crime Investigations workforce for his or her help within the investigation. The U.S. Division of Justice’s Workplace of Worldwide Affairs supplied vital help in securing the defendant’s extradition from the UK.
This matter is being dealt with by the Bureau’s Complicated Fraud and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant United States Lawyer Andrew Okay. Chan is prosecuting the case.
