US Gov't Vows To Start Hunting Down Nigerian Yahoo Boys
- The United States of America government has announced that it is now ready to invest resources in apprehending international scammers targeting its citizens
- This comes after a US-based company was defrauded of N8b, and some of it was transferred to different countries, including Nigeria
- The timely intervention of US authorities prevented much of the funds from leaving the country before it was frozen
The world's number one country in terms of technological advancement and economic prosperity has declared interest in curbing the growing number of cases of foreigners scamming its citizens of their hard-earned money.
The government listed cryptocurrency scams, romance scams, investment scams, and business email compromise (BEC) fraud scams as its main targets, as these are the most common means swindlers use.
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The authority has directed victims to start lodging complaints with an agency that will look into their investigation.
This announcement is contained in a press release posted on the United States Attorney’s Office, District of Massachusetts website, on Thursday, June 6.
The statement read in part:
"Members of the public who believe they are victims of a cybercrime – including cryptocurrency scams, romance scams, investment scams and business email compromise (BEC) fraud scams – should contact USAMA.CyberTip@usdoj.gov.”
Scammers trick company with spoofed email
The public announcement communicating the start of the country's will to keep its internet space safe from ill-minded intruders was made after a Massachusetts workers' union was scammed of an amount equivalent to N8 billion.
The swindlers, in January 2023, used a spoofed email that the victim did not notice and requested that payment be made to a list of pre-planned accounts.
Some of the funds were then transferred to cryptocurrency wallets and international banks, away from the legal reach of the US government.
The bulk of the money, about $5,315,746, saved in seven domestic banks, was seized on the government's approval.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy said:
“We hope today’s action helps restore some level of stability and justice for those impacted by fraud.”
Yahoo boys target Nigerian banks, steal N8 billion
Legit.ng had earlier reported that Ola Olukoyede, the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, has detailed how banks nationwide lost over N8 billion in 2022 due to internet fraud, also referred to as Yahoo-Yahoo.
The revelation was made by the EFCC chairman yesterday in an engaging meeting with media executives in Abuja.
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Source: Legit.ng
