In what prosecutors described as a “web of lies,” five Nigerians have been sentenced to a combined 159 years in prison for running a $17 million fraud scheme, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The group operated romance and email scams from 2017, preying on over 100 victims, including the elderly, before laundering the funds across continents.
- The fraud included romance scams, fake investment deals, and unemployment insurance claims.
- Over 100 individuals, businesses, and public institutions were defrauded between 2017 and 2023.
- Sentences ranged from 9 to 40 years; three men received the maximum 480-month prison term.
- The scheme laundered money through global networks in Africa and Asia using layered bank accounts.
The shadow of the web stretches beyond code and connectivity; it cloaks deceit as intimacy and trust. These weren’t just scams; they were emotional ambushes, where vulnerable people were trapped in digital illusions that emptied both hearts and bank accounts.
Have you ever felt the shadow of the web where connection blurred the line between real and false?
Sources: U.S. DOJ, Punch
