23-Year-Old Nigerian Lady Convicted In The US For Online Fraud
A 23-year-old Nigerian lady, Oyindamola Akinrinola, has been convicted for her role in fraud schemes that targeted victims across the United States.
The university at University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas, pleaded guilty in a federal court in Missouri, United States for receiving and transferring illicit funds on commission on behalf of a Nigerian co-conspirator.
According to US Attorney Stephen McAllister, who announced the conviction on Monday night;
Akinrinola and her co-conspirator in Nigeria victimized individuals, several elderly, through a variety of online scams.
She now faces time in federal prison for her crimes. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of fraud schemes like these, no matter where they originate.
I also take this conviction as an opportunity to reiterate to all Kansans the vulnerability of our senior citizens to scams and con artists, who prey upon them. We must all be vigilant to protect our parents, grandparents, elderly relatives, friends and neighbors from such frauds and fraudsters.
He stressed that Akinrinola was granted legal permanent residency in the United States in 2018 and her co-conspirator in Nigeria;
orchestrated several scams, such as tricking victims into believing they were eligible for fictitious awards or establishing purported (but false) romantic relationships with victims and exploiting their affections
The unnamed Nigerian co-conspirator directed victims to send money to Akinrinola, court documents say.
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While in Kansas as a college student, she received funds from the scam victims—in amounts ranging from hundreds of dollars to as much $20,000—via wire transfers, money orders, financial applications, Walmart money grams, Western Union, the United States Postal Service, and various other means.
Akinrinola kept a portion for herself as her reward and sent the bulk of the funds to her co-conspirator in Nigeria through Sendwave, WorldRemit, or Boss Revolution mobile applications.
Treasury Inspector General is investigating the case for Tax Administration while Assistant US Attorney Ryan J. Huschka is prosecuting the case.
Her sentencing is scheduled for June 15, 2021, at 9:00, am, before US District Judge Holly L. Teeter.