Nigerian National Sentenced to Prison In Transnational Inheritance Fraud Scheme

A dual U.K.-Nigerian national has been sentenced to 90 months in prison for his involvement in a transnational inheritance scam. This marks the conclusion of sentences for all three defendants extradited from the UK in relation to this fraud. DOJ Press Release

The scheme involved the targeting of elderly individuals in the U.S., with letters claiming a multi-million-dollar inheritance awaited them from a deceased relative in Portugal. To receive this fictional inheritance, victims were instructed to send money for various fees and taxes. The scam included a convoluted system where earlier victims were tricked into receiving and forwarding money from newer victims.

The other two UK-extradited defendants were sentenced to 82 and 87 months in prison respectively. Two other members of this scheme, extradited from Spain, have pled guilty and await sentencing in the coming months.

The Justice Department, along with the U.K.'s National Crime Agency, Crown Prosecution Service, and National Trading Standards Scams Team, worked collaboratively on this case. Additionally, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and other agencies have emphasized their commitment to protect U.S. citizens from such frauds and pursue international criminals.