September 5, 2024 at 07:12AM
Two Nigerian nationals, Ebuka Raphael Umeti, 35, and Franklin Ifeanyichukwu Okwonna, 34, were sentenced in the US for running a business email compromise (BEC) scheme. Umeti received a 10-year prison term, while Okwonna got five years and three months. They were ordered to pay roughly $5 million in restitution for causing losses to victim organizations in the US and abroad through phishing emails and wire fraud.
From the meeting notes, the key takeaways are:
– Two Nigerian nationals, Ebuka Raphael Umeti and Franklin Ifeanyichukwu Okwonna, were sentenced to prison in the US for operating a business email compromise (BEC) scheme.
– Umeti was sentenced to 10 years in prison, while Okwonna was sentenced to five years and three months. Both were ordered to pay roughly $5 million in restitution.
– The BEC scheme aimed to cause millions in losses to victim organizations in the US and abroad and operated between February 2016 and July 2021.
– The scheme involved sending phishing emails, infecting targets’ systems with malware, remotely accessing victims’ systems and email accounts, and stealing sensitive information to trick employees into making wire transfers to accounts under the scammers’ control.
– Umeti was convicted of wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, conspiracy to damage a protected computer, and damage to a protected computer, while Okwonna pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft.
Additionally, the meeting notes include related articles on cybersecurity incidents and legal cases, such as a reward for a Belarusian malware distributor, a hacker attempting to fake his death to avoid child support, Julian Assange’s return to Australia after a US legal battle, and a Russian cybersecurity firm founder being jailed for 14 years.