A Nigerian man, Olamide Shanu, aged 34, has been extradited from the United Kingdom (UK) to the United States (US) to face trial for his alleged involvement in a multi-million-dollar fraud scheme.
The US Department of Justice (DoJ) announced on Thursday that Shanu, a native of Lagos State, Nigeria, was arraigned before a US Magistrate Court on Wednesday. He was indicted on an eight-count charge connected to internet fraud and extortion-related crimes.
The charges include wire fraud conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, conspiracy to commit interstate communications with intent to extort, conspiracy to commit extortion, cyberstalking, money laundering conspiracy, extortion, and interstate communications aimed at extortion.
According to prosecutors, Shanu and his accomplices allegedly posed as women on social media platforms to deceive unsuspecting male victims into sending sexually explicit images. Once the victims complied, they reportedly used the images to blackmail them.
The DoJ stated:
“According to the indictment, Shanu and his conspirators posed as females on social media and persuaded their victims, typically males, to send sexual images of themselves. The indictment alleges that once the victims sent the explicit images, the conspirators threatened to send the explicit images to the victims’ friends and families unless the victim paid money.”
Authorities further alleged that the scheme targeted several victims across the United States, including a college student in Idaho. Beyond the sextortion operation, prosecutors claim Shanu and his network laundered proceeds worth at least $2 million through cryptocurrency wallets.
The DoJ confirmed:
“According to the indictment, Shanu fraudulently obtained at least $2,000,000 from the fraud schemes. If convicted of the charges, Shanu faces up to 20 years in federal prison. He also faces restitution for the losses incurred by the victims of the scheme. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
This case mirrors a similar prosecution involving another Nigerian, Chukwuemeka Victor Amachukwu, who was extradited from France in August for alleged cybercrimes, including wire fraud and hacking that caused over $819,000 in losses.
okay.ng reports that Shanu’s case further highlights the growing concern over international cybercrime networks targeting American citizens.
