CHICAGO — Federal investigators have added a tenth defendant to an international investigation into online fraud schemes, including ‘romance scams’ and ‘mystery shopper scams,’ known as Operation Gold Phish.
The latest addition, Olaniyi Nasiru Ojikutu, 39, of Chicago, faces three counts of wire fraud. This brings the total number of defendants charged in this investigation to ten, with charges expanded against nine others.
In a gritty cyber-enabled crime spree, the defendants are accused of building trust with victims through online romances and then tricking them into sending money. They allegedly contacted victims on popular dating sites and social media platforms like Match.com, Facebook, and Instagram.
Additionally, the investigation revealed a ‘mystery shopper scam’ where victims were offered commissions for evaluating services. The victims received fake checks, leading them to withdraw cash from their accounts and wire it to predetermined recipients, only to discover they had been defrauded.
Nine of the defendants were initially charged last year with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. A federal indictment returned on May 16, 2019, added Ojikutu and expanded charges against the others. All but one of the original defendants are currently in law enforcement custody, with one defendant located in Nigeria.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter S. Salib and Charles W. Mulaney represent the government in this high-stakes investigation, which is a testament to the relentless pursuit of justice against sophisticated cybercriminal operations.
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Key Facts
- State: Illinois
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Cybercrime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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