A Nigerian man, Chukwuemeka Victor Amachukwu, has been extradited to the United States from France to face charges related to computer hacking, identity theft, and wire fraud schemes. The 39-year-old is accused of defrauding US tax authorities and victims out of millions of dollars.
Alleged Crime:
– Hacking Campaign: Amachukwu and his accomplices allegedly launch a hacking campaign targeting tax preparation businesses in the US, starting as far back as 2019. They stole sensitive tax and identity information of thousands of customers.
– Fraudulent Tax Returns: The stolen data was used to file fraudulent tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and various state tax agencies, resulting in over $2.5 million in fraudulent tax refunds.
– COVID-Era Relief Fund Scam: Amachukwu’s group submitted false claims under the US Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, securing approximately $819,000 in fraudulent payout.
– Investment Scam: Amachukwu duped victims into investing in non-existent standby letters of credit, diverting millions of dollars for personal gain.
Charges and Penalties
– Conspiracy to Commit Computer Intrusion: 5 years
– Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud: up to 20 years
– Wire Fraud: up to 20 years
– Aggravated Identity Theft: mandatory consecutive sentence of 2 years
International Cooperations:
The extradition was made possible through coordinated efforts between the FBI, the US Marshals Service, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, and French law enforcement.
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