FBI investigating Nigerian man nabbed in Ghana for US$7.5 million charity scam

Authorities in the United States are prosecuting a Nigerian national, Olusegun Samson Adejorin, over federal charges in an alleged US$7.5 million business email compromise scheme that targeted two charitable organisations.

The suspect was arrested in Ghana on December 29, 2023, a report by graphic.com.gh has said.

Adejorin is yet to make his first appearance in court in Ghana, following an eight-count indictment unsealed in Maryland that showed that he operated between June and August 2020, infiltrating the accounts of the two organisations in the US.

According to the report, how the Nigerian national operated was that he gained access to employee email accounts at both charities, one in Maryland and the other in New York, and posing as authorised personnel, he allegedly tricked the institutions into transferring monies.

In total, he got the organisations to transfer over US$7.5 million from the New York charity's investment funds held by the Maryland organisation, the report added.

“The indictment details a sophisticated scheme. Adejorin allegedly used a credential harvesting tool to steal login information, created fake domain names to mask his tracks, and even manipulated email accounts to hide his activity.

“If convicted, Adejorin faces a maximum sentence of 20 years per count of wire fraud, an additional five years for unauthorised computer access, and mandatory two-year sentences for aggravated identity theft,” the report stated.

It added that since Adejorin misused a domain name, the potential penalty he is facing could rise further.

The report also indicated that the FBI, along with international partners in Ghana, played a crucial role in apprehending Adejorin and bringing him to justice.



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