Nigerian Arrested, Charged in $7.5 Million BEC Scheme Targeting US Charities

Nigerian Arrested, Charged in $7.5 Million BEC Scheme Targeting US Charities

January 5, 2024 at 06:30AM

Nigerian national Olusegun Samson Adejorin is accused of perpetrating a $7.5 million business email compromise (BEC) scheme on two charitable organizations in the US. Adejorin allegedly obtained employee credentials, made fraudulent fund withdrawal requests, and used various tools to perpetrate the fraud. He faces multiple charges and is awaiting court appearance in Ghana. BEC scammers are increasingly utilizing alternative communication channels for fraud, indicating the need for strengthened security measures.

Key takeaways from the meeting notes are:

1. Olusegun Samson Adejorin, a Nigerian national, was arrested in Ghana and faces charges in the US for his involvement in a business email compromise (BEC) scheme targeting two charitable organizations in North Bethesda, Maryland, and New York, New York.
2. Adejorin allegedly obtained employees’ credentials, accessed their email accounts, and impersonated employees to request fund withdrawals from the organizations, totaling more than $7.5 million to be transferred to his controlled bank accounts.
3. He is charged with five counts of wire fraud, one count of unauthorized access to a protected computer, and two counts of aggravated identity theft and is awaiting his initial appearance in court in Ghana.
4. BEC fraud involves sending fraudulent emails to deceive employees into making wire transfers to attackers’ bank accounts, with scammers increasingly using communication channels such as SMS, WhatsApp, Signal, social media, and workplace messaging apps to perpetrate such fraud.

These takeaways summarize the details of the case and the evolution of BEC fraud tactics to include various communication channels beyond emails.

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