One 40-year-old Nigerian man, Chukwuemeka Victor Amachukwu, don collect eight years prison for one court for New York, United States, sake of hacking, fraud and identity theft. US District Judge Paul G. Gardephe sentence am after e plead guilty to conspiracy to commit computer intrusions and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Di United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York announce di sentence inside statement on Monday, 19 October. Amachukwu still get aliases Chukwuemeka Victor Eletuo and So Kwan Leung.
Na for 2025 dem send Amachukwu to US from France wia dem gbab am. Court documents tok say from 2019, Amachukwu, im co-conspirator Kingsley Uchelue Utulu and oda Nigeria-based conspirators start one scheme to hack US-based tax preparation businesses. Dem use spearphishing emails to get access to di businesses’ electronic systems.
Once dem enter di systems, di conspirators steal tax records and oda identifying information of at least about 800 customers of di businesses. Di affected firms dey New York, Texas and oda states for US. Di statement add say dem also get stolen identity information of thousands of individuals and use am to file fraudulent tax returns with di Internal Revenue Service and state tax authorities.
Court documents show say di conspirators seek at least about $8.4 million in fraudulent tax refunds, and dem successfully obtain at least about $2.5 million. Dem still use di stolen identities to file fraudulent claims with di Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, and dem get at least anoda about $819,000 in fraudulent payouts.
Beyond di hacking and tax fraud, Amachukwu join anoda investment fraud wey involve standby letters of credit wey dem claim say valuable. According to di office, for dis 419 waka, Amachukwu lie say e be one rich overseas financier to fool im victims, but di investments no exist for real life.
US Attorney Jamie McDonald tok say Amachukwu believe say e dey operate safely offshore wen e target im victims, but dem don hold am to account and e don get serious sentence for
