$50m Fraud: US-based Nigerian pleads guilty to email, romance scams

Animashaun Adebo, a United States-based Nigerian, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy over his role in a series of business email compromise (BEC) and romance scams that caused more than $50 million in losses to victims across the United States.

Adebo, also known as “Kazeem” and “Kazeem Animashaun,” entered his guilty plea on Monday before a federal court in Brooklyn, according to a statement published by the United States Department of Justice on Tuesday.

The Department of Justice disclosed that Adebo and his co-conspirators orchestrated multiple fraudulent schemes targeting individuals and small businesses, particularly within the Eastern District of New York, as well as other parts of the country.

The syndicate deployed a mix of business email compromise and romance scams, manipulating victims into transferring funds under false pretences.

Authorities said the group misappropriated victims’ funds and laundered them through shell company accounts both within and outside the US.

In some instances, the operation relied on unsuspecting intermediaries to further obscure the origin of the illicit proceeds, making detection more difficult.

Investigations revealed that between April 2021 and March 2022, the group executed a series of BEC schemes, particularly targeting individuals involved in real estate transactions.

“Victims received fraudulent emails that appeared to originate from legitimate parties connected to their transactions.

“These emails instructed them to wire funds to designated accounts controlled by the fraudsters.

Authorities explained that the perpetrators used a technique known as “spoofing,” where email addresses closely resemble genuine ones but contain slight alterations designed to deceive recipients.

Similarly, employees of targeted companies were tricked into transferring funds after receiving emails that seemed to come from trusted vendors or business partners.

In each case, once the funds were transferred, they were diverted into accounts controlled by Adebo and his associates.

The Justice Department further revealed that Adebo laundered part of the proceeds through the purchase of luxury watches and via an illegal money exchange operation run by his co-defendant, Idowu Ademoroti, who has already been convicted and sentenced.

Adebo received portions of the fraudulent proceeds through corporate bank accounts located in Nigeria, highlighting the transnational nature of the operation.

Nelson Ojeriakhi, another Nigerian national linked to the scheme, was arrested in Paris and extradited to the United States in July 2025.

He pleaded guilty in November 2025 and is currently awaiting sentencing.

A fourth suspect, identified as Noguan Eboigbe, remains at large, according to the statement.

In a related development, Ifeanyi Ugwu, another US-based Nigerian, is facing up to five years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business involving more than $5 million in illegally obtained funds.

Eric Grant, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California, said Ugwu, 49, admitted to running the illegal operation between December 2020 and August 2023.