*A United States court in Virginia declares Nigerian Obinwanne Okeke, ak.a. 鈥業nvictus Obi鈥�, and others had engaged in a conspiracy to conduct various computer-based frauds, approximately from 2015 to 2019

Alexander Davis | 绿帽献妻

For fleecing consumers of their hard-earned wealth, a United States court has sentenced a Nigerian, Obinwanne Okeke also known as 鈥業nvictus Obi鈥�, to 10 years in prison for his involvement in a computer-based intrusion fraud scheme that caused about $11 million in losses to his victims.

Raj Parekh, Acting US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said: 聽鈥淭hrough subterfuge and impersonation, Obinwanne Okeke engaged in a multi-year global business e-mail and computer hacking scheme that caused a staggering $11 million in losses to his victims.

鈥淭oday鈥檚 sentence further demonstrates EDVA鈥檚 and FBI鈥檚 worldwide reach in vigorously pursuing justice on behalf of American victims and others and holding international cybercriminals accountable, no matter where they commit their crimes.鈥�

According to report, the court documents indicate that Obinwanne Okeke, 33, operated a group of companies known as the Invictus Group, based in Nigeria and elsewhere. From approximately 2015 to 2019, Okeke and others were said to have engaged in a conspiracy to conduct various computer-based frauds.

The conspirators obtained and compiled the credentials of hundreds of victims, including victims in the Eastern District of Virginia.

The court documents also revealed that as part of the scheme, Okeke and other conspirators engaged in an e-mail compromise scheme targeting Unatrac Holding Limited, the export sales office for Caterpillar heavy industrial and farm equipment. In April 2018, a Unatrac executive fell prey to a phishing email that allowed conspirators to capture login credentials.

The conspirators sent fraudulent wire transfer requests and attached fake invoices. Okeke participated in the effort to victimize Unatrac through fraudulent wire transfers totalling nearly $11 million, which was transferred overseas, report noted.

He was also reported to have engaged in other forms of cyberfraud, including sending phishing emails to capture email credentials, creating fraudulent web pages, and causing other losses to numerous victims.

Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI鈥檚 Norfolk Field Office, stated: 鈥淭he FBI will not allow cyber criminals free reign in the digital world to prey on US companies.

鈥淭his sentencing demonstrates the FBI鈥檚 commitment to working with our partners at the Department of Justice and our foreign counterparts to locate cyber criminals across the globe and bring them to the United States to be held accountable.鈥�

Raj Parekh, Acting US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI鈥檚 Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief US District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith.