The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, has exposed a sophisticated cyber fraud allegedly orchestrated by a Nigerian national, Ehiremen Aigbokhan, who is accused of diverting more than N460 million intended for the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump scheduled for January 2025.
According to an FBI intelligence briefing, the incident occurred on December 26, 2024, when a Business Email Compromise, BEC, attack was launched, resulting in the unauthorized transfer of 250,300 USDT.ETH, a dollar-pegged cryptocurrency operating on the Ethereum blockchain. At the time, the amount was valued at over N400 million.
The BEC scheme, a common but increasingly sophisticated method of cyber fraud, involves the impersonation of trusted people or entities to manipulate victims into transferring substantial funds. In this case, the perpetrator allegedly posed as a high-ranking contact involved in the inauguration logistics.
Following detailed forensic analysis, the FBI traced the source of the emails and blockchain wallet activity to Nigeria, with Lagos emerging as the central location of the illicit operations based on multiple IP address logs.
Ehiremen Aigbokhan is now at the center of a global law enforcement effort.
The FBI has initiated a formal request for his arrest and stated that he will face an array of charges, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and laundering of illicit funds.
U.S. authorities have described the incident as deeply troubling and say it highlights the urgent need for stronger international collaboration in addressing cybercrimes emanating from West Africa.
