February 1st 2025.
A Nigerian couple, Julie and Edwin Okoronkwo, have been handed federal prison sentences as punishment for their involvement in a nefarious "catfishing" plot that utilized the services of the U.S. Postal Service. According to the Department of Justice, the couple was found guilty of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. As a result, Julie has been sentenced to 25 months in federal prison, followed by two years of probation and deportation. Meanwhile, Edwin has been given a 75-month sentence, to be followed by three years of probation and deportation upon completion. In addition to their imprisonment, the couple has also been ordered to repay $337,535 and $342,535, respectively.
The Okoronkwos, who are permanent resident aliens residing in Omaha, Nebraska, used various social media profiles to target unsuspecting victims online. They would masquerade as high-ranking military officials or even military personnel on covert missions, in order to gain the trust of their targets. To receive payments, the couple utilized various methods such as FedEx, the U.S. Postal Service, and online wire transfers like Zelle and PayPal. The Department of Justice provided further details in a press release, stating that the couple used personal information obtained from victims of identity theft to open bank accounts and other online financial services, including peer-to-peer digital payment platforms.
It remains unclear what tactics the Okoronkwos used to persuade their victims to trust them, but unfortunately, their ploy was successful. Many people have fallen victim to similar versions of the infamous "Nigerian scam" since the early 2000s. In fact, in July of 2023, CBS News reported on a "sextortion" scam that shares similarities with the one perpetrated by the Nebraska couple. Just like the Okoronkwos, these scammers also utilized online social media profiles to contact potential victims. They would then request compromising images from their targets and threaten to release them if their demands for money were not met.
Interestingly, a large number of these fake accounts were discovered on Meta's Facebook platform, and all of them were traced back to Nigeria, according to CBS News. As a result, Meta has taken action by removing over 63,000 accounts that were linked to these sextortion schemes. This is just one example of how deceptive and harmful these types of scams can be, as they not only defraud innocent individuals but also tarnish the reputation of an entire country. In fact, a beauty supply company in Atlanta has been facing lawsuits and accusations of scamming from dissatisfied customers, and it is likely that these complaints are related to the same type of deceitful tactics used by the Okoronkwos and others involved in similar schemes.
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