A Nigerian woman studying in the United States, Oyindamola Akinrinola, has pleaded guilty in a federal court for her role in Nigerian fraud schemes that targeted Americans.
U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister announced her conviction on Monday night, saying she will now face time in federal prison for her crime. The 23-year-old and her co-conspirators in Nigeria victimised individuals, several of them elderly, through a variety of online scams.
Akinrinola’s co-conspirator in Nigeria orchestrated several scams, such as tricking victims into believing they were eligible for fictitious awards or establishing purported (but false) romantic relationships with victims and exploiting their affections.
The co-conspirator in Nigeria directed victims to send money to Akinrinola. While in Kansas as a college student, she received funds from the scam victims — in amounts ranging from hundreds of dollars to as much $20,000 — via wire transfers, money orders, financial applications, Wal-Mart money grams, Western Union, the United States Postal Service, and various other means.
Akinrinola kept a portion for herself as her reward and sent the bulk of the funds to her co-conspirator in Nigeria. Her sentencing is scheduled for June 15, 2021 at 9:00 am, before U.S. District Judge Holly L. Teeter. This case is being investigated by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.
