A 35-year-old Nigerian, Olamide Shanu, has pleaded guilty in the United States to his role in an international fraud network that allegedly targeted about 150 Americans through sextortion and romance scams.
Shanu pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering after US prosecutors linked him to schemes that generated more than $2.5m and caused millions of dollars in losses to victims.
Court documents showed that the syndicate used two main methods to target victims. In sextortion cases, male victims were allegedly persuaded to send sexual images and subsequently threatened with the release of the images to their relatives and friends unless they paid money.
The group also allegedly operated romance scams using fake identities on social media. Members developed relationships with victims, including older men and women, before requesting money for purported emergencies and other urgent needs.
The proceeds were allegedly moved through peer-to-peer payment platforms and cryptocurrency wallets before being transferred to other members of the network in Nigeria.
Shanu was extradited from Nigeria to the US to face the charges and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 15. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The US Secret Service and Boise Police Department are investigating the case.
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