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Nigerian Man Extradited for Business Email Compromise Scams
A Nigerian man accused of participating in a multimillion-dollar business email compromise campaign has been extradited from the United Kingdom to the United States. Chibundu Joseph Anuebunwa, 39, of Lagos, Nigeria, was extradited on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud in connection with his alleged participation in the scam.
According to the allegations, Anuebunwa and his co-conspirators targeted thousands of victims around the world, including in the United States, by sending phony emails to company employees directing them to transfer funds to specified bank accounts. The emails purported to be from supervisors at those companies or third-party vendors that did business with those companies.
Between 2014 and 2016, Anuebunwa, Onyekachi Emmanuel Opara, and David Chukwuneke Adindu participated in the business email compromise scams, according to the indictment. After victims complied with the fraudulent wiring instructions, the transferred funds were quickly withdrawn or moved into different bank accounts.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.
Chibundu Joseph Anuebunwa 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.
Chibundu Joseph 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.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office commended 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 provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s extradition from the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom’s Crown Prosecution Service also assisted in today’s extradition.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Chibundu Joseph Anuebunwa is currently in custody.
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Cybercrime|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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