Sultan
Anifowose, the son of veteran Fuji musician, Kwam 1, has been arrested
in the U.S along with 8 others as part of an international investigation
into online “romance scams” and “mystery shopper” schemes that made
victims lose at least $2 million over the past two years. Below is how
the US Department of Justice reported the arrest on its official
website: Seven Chicago-area residents are among nine individuals
arrested in the United States and Nigeria as part of an international
investigation into online “romance scams” and “mystery shopper”
schemes.During the Chicago-based investigation, dubbed “Operation Gold
Phish,” law enforcement identified a variety of cyber-enabled fraud
schemes allegedly carried out by conspirators in the U.S. and Nigeria.
One of the alleged schemes involved “romance scams,” in which a
conspirator builds trust with a victim through a purported online
romance before convincing the victim to send money to a predetermined
recipient. The conspirators initially contacted victims online via
applications and websites, including Match.com, Facebook, and Instagram,
the complaint states. Another alleged cyber-enabled fraud involved a
“mystery shopper” scheme, in which conspirators fraudulently offered
victims opportunities to work as a mystery shopper and receive
commissions for evaluating retailers. The victim received a check
through the U.S. mail with instructions to deposit it in a personal bank
account, withdraw the money in cash, and wire it to a third party. The
check turned out to be fake, and the victims were defrauded of the
wired money, the charges allege.A criminal complaint filed Dec. 4, 2018,
in U.S. District Court in Chicago charged nine defendants with
conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Arrests were recently carried out in
Illinois, Texas, and Nigeria, and all of the defendants are now in law
enforcement custody. The Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission is conducting a related investigation of other individuals in
Nigeria.The U.S. charges were announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United
States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Jeffrey S.
Sallet, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal
Bureau of Investigation; and Craig Goldberg, Inspector-in-Charge of the
U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Chicago. Valuable assistance was
provided by the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter S. Salib and Charles W. Mulaney represent
the government.Arrested on the U.S. charges in Illinois were DANIEL
SAMUEL ETA, also known as “Captain” and “Etaoko,” 35, of Skokie;
BABATUNDE LADEHINDE LABIYI, also known as “Junior,” 20, of Chicago;
BARNABAS OGHENERUKEVWE EDJIEH, 29, of Chicago; SULTAN OMOGBADEBO
ANIFOWOSHE, also known as “Ayinde,” 26, of Chicago; BABATUNDE IBRAHEEM
AKARIGIDI, also known as “AK,” 39, of Chicago; MIRACLE AYOKUNLE OKUNOLA,
21, of Chicago; and OLUROTIMI AKITUNDE IDOWU, also known as “Idol,” 55,
of Chicago. Arrested in Texas was ADEWALE ANTHONY ADEWUMI, 27, of
Richardson, Texas. Arrested in Nigeria was OLANIYI ADELEYE OGUNGBAIYE,
also known as “DonChiChi,” 26, of Lagos, Nigeria.In addition to the
romance and mystery shopper schemes, the complaint accuses the
conspirators of engaging in various other cyber-enabled scams, including
investment and employment frauds. The conspirators also defrauded
victims by targeting corporate email accounts, the complaint states. In
the email scam, known as a business email compromise, the conspirators
fraudulently obtained usernames and passwords or sent “spoofing” email
messages that claimed to be from a company employee, instructing the
victim to change the wire instructions for bank payments. Per the
instructions given in the fraudulent emails, the victims unknowingly
wired funds to bank accounts controlled by the conspirators that had
been opened in fictitious names utilizing fake passports, the complaint
states.The charge in the complaint carries a maximum sentence of 20
years in prison. If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable
sentences under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory U.S.
Sentencing Guidelines. The public is reminded that charges contain only
accusations and are not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed
innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the
burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.US Department of Justice arrests Kwams son, 8 others over $2m fraud in Chicago
Sultan
Anifowose, the son of veteran Fuji musician, Kwam 1, has been arrested
in the U.S along with 8 others as part of an international investigation
into online “romance scams” and “mystery shopper” schemes that made
victims lose at least $2 million over the past two years. Below is how
the US Department of Justice reported the arrest on its official
website: Seven Chicago-area residents are among nine individuals
arrested in the United States and Nigeria as part of an international
investigation into online “romance scams” and “mystery shopper”
schemes.During the Chicago-based investigation, dubbed “Operation Gold
Phish,” law enforcement identified a variety of cyber-enabled fraud
schemes allegedly carried out by conspirators in the U.S. and Nigeria.
One of the alleged schemes involved “romance scams,” in which a
conspirator builds trust with a victim through a purported online
romance before convincing the victim to send money to a predetermined
recipient. The conspirators initially contacted victims online via
applications and websites, including Match.com, Facebook, and Instagram,
the complaint states. Another alleged cyber-enabled fraud involved a
“mystery shopper” scheme, in which conspirators fraudulently offered
victims opportunities to work as a mystery shopper and receive
commissions for evaluating retailers. The victim received a check
through the U.S. mail with instructions to deposit it in a personal bank
account, withdraw the money in cash, and wire it to a third party. The
check turned out to be fake, and the victims were defrauded of the
wired money, the charges allege.A criminal complaint filed Dec. 4, 2018,
in U.S. District Court in Chicago charged nine defendants with
conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Arrests were recently carried out in
Illinois, Texas, and Nigeria, and all of the defendants are now in law
enforcement custody. The Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission is conducting a related investigation of other individuals in
Nigeria.The U.S. charges were announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United
States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Jeffrey S.
Sallet, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal
Bureau of Investigation; and Craig Goldberg, Inspector-in-Charge of the
U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Chicago. Valuable assistance was
provided by the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter S. Salib and Charles W. Mulaney represent
the government.Arrested on the U.S. charges in Illinois were DANIEL
SAMUEL ETA, also known as “Captain” and “Etaoko,” 35, of Skokie;
BABATUNDE LADEHINDE LABIYI, also known as “Junior,” 20, of Chicago;
BARNABAS OGHENERUKEVWE EDJIEH, 29, of Chicago; SULTAN OMOGBADEBO
ANIFOWOSHE, also known as “Ayinde,” 26, of Chicago; BABATUNDE IBRAHEEM
AKARIGIDI, also known as “AK,” 39, of Chicago; MIRACLE AYOKUNLE OKUNOLA,
21, of Chicago; and OLUROTIMI AKITUNDE IDOWU, also known as “Idol,” 55,
of Chicago. Arrested in Texas was ADEWALE ANTHONY ADEWUMI, 27, of
Richardson, Texas. Arrested in Nigeria was OLANIYI ADELEYE OGUNGBAIYE,
also known as “DonChiChi,” 26, of Lagos, Nigeria.In addition to the
romance and mystery shopper schemes, the complaint accuses the
conspirators of engaging in various other cyber-enabled scams, including
investment and employment frauds. The conspirators also defrauded
victims by targeting corporate email accounts, the complaint states. In
the email scam, known as a business email compromise, the conspirators
fraudulently obtained usernames and passwords or sent “spoofing” email
messages that claimed to be from a company employee, instructing the
victim to change the wire instructions for bank payments. Per the
instructions given in the fraudulent emails, the victims unknowingly
wired funds to bank accounts controlled by the conspirators that had
been opened in fictitious names utilizing fake passports, the complaint
states.The charge in the complaint carries a maximum sentence of 20
years in prison. If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable
sentences under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory U.S.
Sentencing Guidelines. The public is reminded that charges contain only
accusations and are not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed
innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the
burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
