A Nigerian hacker, Olusegun Samson Adejorin, has been arrested in Ghana for stealing $7.5 million (N8.25 billion) from charities in the United States.
He was arrested on December 29, 2023, for defrauding two charity organisations in Maryland and New York.
Adejorin faces charges for wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and unauthorized access to a protected computer linked to attacks aimed at two Maryland-based charitable organizations, culminating in the embezzlement of $7.5 million.
The US Department of Justice said the suspect committed the crimes between June and August 2020, getting unauthorized access to email accounts and impersonating employees.
He reportedly posed as one of the charities to demand large withdrawals from another, using stolen credentials to send mails from accounts of employees that needed approval to withdraw over $10,000 (N11 million).
The Department of Justice said Adejorin purchased a credential harvesting tool to steal credentials, registered fake domain names and concealed fraudulent emails by moving such mails to inconspicuous locations within employees’ mailboxes.
He used the method to trick a charity organisation into sending $7.5 million to bank accounts he controlled thinking they sent the money to the corresponding organization.
He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years for wire fraud, five years for unauthorized access to a protected computer, and a mandatory sentence of two years for aggravated identity theft.
The Department of Justice announcement also notes that the sentence may be extended by seven years for malicious registration and use of a domain name.
