A US court in the Northern District of Ohio has convicted three people in connection with a large-scale online fraud operation targeting individuals and businesses worldwide.

The court said the scheme involved fake business emails that tricked victims into sending payments. More than 1,000 people were affected, with total losses estimated at about $215 million.

On April 24, 2026, a jury in Toledo found Oluwafemi Michael Awoyemi (40), Aruan Drake (37), and Peter Reed (35) guilty of wire fraud conspiracy. Awoyemi and Drake were also convicted of money laundering conspiracy.

Authorities said the group gained access to email accounts and tracked conversations to understand how victims operated. They then sent false payment requests that appeared genuine.

“The fraudulent e-mails are crafted in a way to convince recipients that the request for payment was for legitimate business activities,” the court said.

Once money was sent, it was moved through multiple bank accounts and transfer channels to hide the source.

The court also noted that about $50 million was converted into cashier’s cheques through a money service business in the Chicago area. Some of these transactions involved false identities and shell companies.

Victims were located across the United States and several countries, including Canada, Germany, Italy, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates.

In one case, a company reportedly transferred $2.7 million after receiving a fake request.

Investigators also recovered assets, including cash, cryptocurrency, luxury watches, and property, linked to the operation.

Understanding stress and managing it the right way