Nigerian pleads guilty to defrauding 150 Americans in $2.5m sextortion scam

Olamide Shanu, a 35-year-old Nigerian, pleaded guilty on Monday in the District of Idaho to conspiracy to commit money laundering for his role in sextortion and romance fraud schemes, according to a statement from the US Department of Justice. The schemes allegedly defrauded more than 150 Americans of over $2.5 million. The conspirators targeted male victims by persuading them to send sexual images, threatening to expose them unless money was paid.

For romance scams, they established deceptive relationships with older women and men on social media, then asked for money citing urgent financial needs. The proceeds were laundered through peer-to-peer payment applications and cryptocurrency wallets before being sent to co-conspirators in Nigeria. Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva stated that the case involved a sophisticated international scheme exploiting Americans through these frauds.

The US Attorney for the District of Idaho, Bart M. Davis, emphasized that the guilty plea demonstrated efforts to prosecute cybercriminals regardless of their location. Shanu faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when sentenced on December 15.