2022-05-20 DOJ SDNY press_release 117 KB 5,302 chars

Nigerian Man Extradited From United Kingdom For Participating In Business Email Compromise Scams

summary

Chibundu Joseph Anuebunwa, a Nigerian national, was extradited from the UK to the U.S. to face charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud for his role in a multimillion-dollar business email compromise scheme (2014–2016) that spoofed corporate emails to trick victims worldwide into transferring funds, with two co-defendants already sentenced to 41 and 60 months in prison.

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Chibundu Joseph Anuebunwa is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud for his involvement in a global business email compromise (BEC) scheme between 2014 and 2016, during which he and co-defendants impersonated corporate executives or vendors using spoofed email domains to deceive employees into wiring funds to fraudulent accounts. The scheme targeted thousands of victims globally, including U.S. businesses, and involved coordinated sharing of bank accounts, email credentials, phishing scripts, and victim lists, resulting in millions of dollars in attempted losses. Anuebunwa faces up to 20 years in prison on each charge; co-defendants David Adindu and Onyekachi Opara were previously sentenced to 41 and 60 months, respectively.

narrative

Chibundu Joseph Anuebunwa, a 39-year-old Nigerian national from Lagos, was extradited from the United Kingdom to the United States to face federal charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud for his central role in a global business email compromise (BEC) scheme that operated between 2014 and 2016. Alongside co-defendants David Chukwuneke Adindu and Onyekachi Emmanuel Opara, Anuebunwa orchestrated the use of spoofed or visually similar email domains to impersonate corporate executives and third-party vendors, tricking employees at thousands of companies—many in the U.S.—into wiring funds to accounts controlled by the conspirators. The fraud network was highly coordinated, involving the exchange of bank account details, email infrastructure, phishing scripts, and lists of potential victims to maximize the scheme’s reach and efficiency. After funds were transferred, they were rapidly withdrawn or laundered through multiple accounts to evade detection. In total, the conspiracy attempted to defraud millions of dollars from victims worldwide. Adindu was previously sentenced to 41 months in prison, and Opara, extradited from South Africa, received a 60-month sentence. Anuebunwa now faces up to 20 years in prison on each count, with prosecution led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and supported by the FBI, U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and international partners including the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service.

Enriched metadata

Scheme: cyber-fraud (95%)
Court: Southern District of New York
Outcome: sentenced

Classified cyber-fraud(confidence 95%). No EDGAR filing fingerprint (criminal/DOJ-side scheme). detection rule →

Extracted insights

Entities 9

person bec scams
person business email compromise scams
person chibundu joseph anuebunwa
scheme_term conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud
person david chukwuneneke adindu
person nigerian man
person onyekachi emmanuel opara
person south africa
location United States

Triples 16

Nigerian Man Extradited From United Kingdom
Nigerian Man Participating In Business Email Compromise Scams
Chibundu Joseph Anuebunwa Extradited On Charges Of Conspiracy To Commit Wire Fraud And Wire Fraud
Chibundu Joseph Anuebunwa Arrived In United States
Chibundu Joseph Anuebunwa Presented Before U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker
Case Assigned To U.S. District Judge Paul A. Crotty
David Chukwuneneke Adindu Previously Sentenced To 41 Months In Prison
Onyekachi Emmanuel Opara Previously Extradited From South Africa
Onyekachi Emmanuel Opara Previously Sentenced To 60 Months In Prison
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams Say Chibundu Joseph Anuebunwa Tried To Steal Money From Thousands Of Businesses Around The World
Chibundu Joseph Anuebunwa Impersonating Corporate Executives Sending Phony Emails To Company Employees
Chibundu Joseph Anuebunwa Exchanged Information Regarding Bank Accounts Used For Receiving Funds From Victims
Chibundu Joseph Anuebunwa Exchanged Information Regarding Email Accounts Used For Communicating With Victims
Chibundu Joseph Anuebunwa Exchanged Information Regarding Scripts For Requesting Wire Transfers From Victims
Chibundu Joseph Anuebunwa Exchanged Information Regarding Lists Of Names And Email Addresses For Contacting And Impersonating Potential Victims
BEC Scams Attempted To Defraud Millions Of Dollars From Victims

View original DOJ press releasejustice.gov

Extracted body text (5,302c)

Press Release Nigerian Man Extradited From United Kingdom For Participating In Business Email Compromise Scams Friday, May 20, 2022 Share FacebookLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. XLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. LinkedInLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the “external link” icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. Email For Immediate Release U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today that CHIBUNDU JOSEPH ANUEBUNWA, a citizen of Nigeria, was extradited from the United Kingdom and arrived in the United States this afternoon. ANUEBUNWA was extradited on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with his alleged participation in a multimillion-dollar business email compromise campaign that targeted thousands of victims around the world, including in the United States. ANUEBUNWA will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Paul A. Crotty. In connection with the same conspiracy as ANUEBUNWA, co-defendant DAVID CHUKWUNEKE ADINDU was previously sentenced to 41 months in prison, and co-defendant ONYEKACHI EMMANUEL OPARA was previously extradited from South Africa and sentenced to 60 months in prison. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged in the indictment, Chibundu Joseph Anuebunwa tried to steal money from thousands of businesses around the world by impersonating corporate executives and sending phony emails to company employees. Today’s extradition should serve as a warning to those who think they can defraud victims in the United States from halfway around the world: the United States and its international partners will find you and hold you accountable no matter how long it takes.” According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court[1]: Between 2014 and 2016, ANUEBUNWA, OPARA, and ADINDU participated in business email compromise scams (“BEC scams”) targeting thousands of victims around the world, including in the United States. As part of the BEC scams, emails were sent to employees of various companies directing that funds be transferred to specified bank accounts. The emails purported to be from supervisors at those companies or third-party vendors that did business with those companies. The emails, however, were not legitimate. Rather, they were either from email accounts with a domain name that was very similar to a legitimate domain name, or the metadata in the emails had been modified so that the emails appeared as if they were from legitimate email addresses. After victims complied with the fraudulent wiring instructions, the transferred funds were quickly withdrawn or moved into different bank accounts. In total, the BEC scams attempted to defraud millions of dollars from victims. ANUEBUNWA and others carried out BEC scams by exchanging information regarding: (1) bank accounts used for receiving funds from victims; (2) email accounts used for communicating with victims; (3) scripts for requesting wire transfers from victims; and (4) lists of names and email addresses for contacting and impersonating potential victims. * * * ANUEBUNWA, 39, of Lagos, Nigeria, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and one count of wire fraud, which also carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of the FBI and thanked the Yahoo E-Crime Investigations Team for their assistance. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs of the Department’s Criminal Division provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s extradition from the United Kingdom. Mr. Williams also thanked the United Kingdom’s Crown Prosecution Service for their assistance in today’s extradition. This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew K. Chan and Daniel Loss are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment constitutes only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation. Contact Nicholas Biase Victoria Bosah (212) 637-2600 Updated May 20, 2022 Component USAO - New York, Southern Press Release Number: 22-168

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