CHICAGO — A 39-year-old Chicago resident who helped to orchestrate a multi-year romance scheme has been sentenced to nearly 7 ½ years in prison after federal prosecutors said he and others scammed older residents for money by using love as a hook.
Olaniyi Nasiru Ojikuto, a permanent legal resident of the United States, was one of 10 people who were indicted as part of Operation Gold Phish, a Chicago-based sting operation that identified cybercrimes that targeted older residents, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said on Thursday.
Prosecutors said that schemers in the U.S. and Nigeria targeted the older citizens and built trust with them through an online romance before stealing money from them, John Lausch, the U.S. Attorney for Northern Illinois, said in a news release.
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Victims of the scam were contacted on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram and on the mobile dating app, Match.com.
Prosecutors said that over three years, Ojikuto opened about 25 bank accounts in his own name, a fake name, and a shell company name through which nearly $3.4 million in fraudulently obtained proceeds were transferred.
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Ojikutu used the fraudulently obtained funds for his own personal benefit, including purchasing vehicles in the United States and shipping them to Nigeria for resale, prosecutors said on Thursday. As a result of Ojikutu’s actions, some victims lost hundreds of thousands of dollars, federal prosecutors announced.
All but one of the nine defendants in federal custody have pled guilty in this case. The scam’s alleged leader, Daniel Samuel Eta, who is also known as “Captain” and “Etaoko,” 35, of Skokie has pleaded not guilty and his case is still pending, federal prosecutors said.
The FBI estimates that approximately 24,000 people lost more than $956 million in romance scams in 2021 alone. For tips on how to protect yourselves and your loved ones, visit the Federal Trade Commission’s romance scam webpage.
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Chicago Resident Gets 88 Months In Prison For Romance Scam: Feds
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