A Nigerian man based in the United Kingdom, Olamide Shanu, has been extradited to the United States to face trial over his alleged role in a $2 million fraud scheme.
The US Department of Justice confirmed on Thursday that the 34-year-old from Lagos State appeared before a US Magistrate Court on Wednesday. He was charged with eight counts, including wire fraud conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, conspiracy to commit extortion, cyberstalking, and money laundering conspiracy.
According to prosecutors, Shanu and his partners created fake female profiles on social media to lure men into sending explicit photos. Once they obtained the images, they allegedly threatened to release them to friends and family members unless the victims paid money. The group reportedly targeted multiple people across the United States, including a student in Idaho.
Investigators also claim that Shanu and his conspirators laundered the proceeds through cryptocurrency accounts, with the suspect allegedly receiving not less than $2 million from the scheme. If convicted, he could spend up to 20 years in a US federal prison and be ordered to repay victims.
The Department of Justice stressed that the charges are still allegations, and Shanu remains innocent until proven guilty in court.
This development comes weeks after another Nigerian, Chukwuemeka Victor Amachukwu, who resides in France, was extradited to the US to face fraud and hacking charges linked to losses of about $819,000. Prosecutors alleged that Amachukwu and his group hacked into US-based tax preparation firms in 2019 using spear-phishing emails to gain access to confidential systems.