U.S. Sentences James Junior Aliyu to 90 Months for $6 Million Email Fraud Scheme
Summary
A U.S. court sentenced James Junior Aliyu to 90 months for his role in a business email compromise scheme that used spoofed payment instructions to redirect wire transfers. Prosecutors estimate the ring stole about $6 million since at least 2017.
Key points
- Aliyu received a 90-month prison sentence for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.
- Authorities say conspirators accessed business and individual email accounts and sent spoofed payment instructions to redirect wire transfers.
- Prosecutors estimate the scheme, active since at least 2017, stole about $6 million.
- The court ordered Aliyu to forfeit $1.2 million and pay $2.4 million in restitution.
- Aliyu was arrested in Johannesburg in 2022 and extradited to the United States.
- Two co-conspirators, Kosi Goodness Simon-Ebo and Henry Onyedikachi Echefu, pleaded guilty; Simon-Ebo received an 18-month sentence, while Echefu could face up to 20 years.
Article Details
- Event Type
- U.S. sentencing in an international business email compromise and wire-fraud scheme.
- Impact
- Authorities estimate the scheme stole about $6 million by compromising business and individual email accounts and sending spoofed payment instructions that redirected wire transfers. James Junior Aliyu was sentenced to 90 months in prison and ordered to forfeit $1.2 million and pay $2.4 million in restitution.
Threat Actors
GhostOnline alias used by James Junior Aliyu, whom authorities say participated in the email-compromise and wire-fraud scheme.Henry Onyedikachi EchefuPleaded guilty in 2024 to a role in the scheme; the article says he could face up to 20 years in prison.James Junior AliyuAuthorities say Aliyu participated in the scheme that compromised email accounts and redirected wire transfers; he was sentenced for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.Kosi Goodness Simon-EboAdmitted his role in the scheme in 2023 and received an 18-month prison sentence.Old SoldierOnline alias used by James Junior Aliyu, whom authorities say participated in the email-compromise and wire-fraud scheme.
Countries
South AfricaAccording to Aliyu’s sentencing memo, he arrived in South Africa with little money and lost his university scholarship during his second year of studies.United StatesJames Junior Aliyu, a Nigerian national who used the aliases “Old Soldier” and “Ghost”, was sentenced to 90 months in U.S.