ICYMI: US convicts Nigerian student of fraud

Oyindamola Akinrinola, a Nigerian studying in the United States, has been convicted after she pleaded guilty for her role in an international online fraud targeted at US-based citizens.

The 23-year-old Kansas-based student was granted legal permanent residency in the US in 2018.

But in a statement on Monday, the Kansas district office of the US department of justice said the Nigerian pleaded guilty to the charges against her when she appeared before a federal court.

Stephen McAllister, US attorney, said Akinrinola and her co-conspirator in Nigeria victimised “individuals, several elderly, through a variety of online scams.”

According to McAllister, the student’s 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 attorney added that the co-conspirator in Nigeria directed victims to send money in amounts ranging from hundreds of dollars to as much $20,000 to Akinrinola.

“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, Wal-Mart money grams, Western Union, the United States Postal Service, and various other means,” the attorney added.

“Akinrinola kept a portion for herself as her reward and sent the bulk of the funds to her co-conspirator in Nigeria. To do so, she generally used the Sendwave, WorldRemit, or Boss Revolution mobile applications.”

McAllister added that the Nigerian 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.”

The hearing of the case is billed for June 15, 2021, and will be presided over by Holly L. Teeter, US district judge.