Nigerian charged in $6 million email spoofing scam is extradited to Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — A Nigerian man appeared in federal court in Nebraska on Wednesday in connection with a $6 million email spoofing scam.

Abiola Kayode, 37, was extradited to Nebraska after more than a year and a half behind bars in Ghana.

He is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

From January 2015 to September 2016, the U.S. Attorney’s Office alleges that Kayode was part of a ring of scammers targeting businesses in Nebraska and elsewhere.

He and his accomplices would pose as executives of a company and send emails to employees and others asking for wire transfers, authorities said.

The emails appeared legitimate, so the employees followed the instructions and sent the money.

Authorities said the businesses lost more than $6 million total.

Most of the bank accounts the money was transferred to belonged to victims of internet romance scams, who were then told where to send the money, authorities said.

Kayode and five others were indicted in 2019, and some have already been convicted and sentenced.

Pelumi Fawehinimi was sentenced to six years in prison and ordered to pay more than $1 million in restitution.

Onome Ijomone got five years in prison and will pay almost $600,000 in restitution.

In October, Alex Ogunshakin was sentenced to three years and nine months in federal prison.

Two other co-conspirators are still at large, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Nelson ordered Kayode to remain in custody until trial.