Former Air Force Members Sentenced for BEC Scheme That Diverted Millions
Summary
Two former Air Force members received a combined 189 months in prison for phishing and BEC schemes that stole email credentials, harvested financial data, and diverted more than $2.4 million in wire transfers.
Key points
- Chijioke Timothy Odimegwu and Harafat Mogaji spent nearly two years phishing businesses to steal employee email credentials.
- They and co-conspirators used spoofed email addresses to redirect payments to accounts they controlled.
- The group diverted more than $1.68 million from an Iowa City victim and more than $720,000 from an Ohio victim.
- The campaigns also harvested financial information, including account and payment-card details.
- Odimegwu received 111 months in prison and was ordered to pay $366,617.59 in restitution; Mogaji received 78 months and was ordered to pay $995,680.45.
- Both men were taken into custody after sentencing and will serve three years of supervised release after prison.
Article Details
- Event Type
- Sentencing of two former US Air Force members for business email compromise and phishing schemes.
- Impact
- The schemes stole employee email credentials and victims’ financial information, and diverted wire transfers of more than $1.68 million from an Iowa victim and over $720,000 from an Ohio victim. Chijioke Timothy Odimegwu and Harafat Mogaji received combined prison sentences of 189 months and were ordered to pay restitution.