Nigerian sentenced to eight years in US for cyber fraud scheme
A US court has sentenced Matthew A. Akande, a Nigerian national, to eight years in prison for leading a cyber fraud operation that targeted tax preparation firms. Akande and his accomplices used phishing emails and malware to steal personal information and file over 1,000 fraudulent tax returns. The scheme resulted in more than $1.3 million being paid out in fraudulent tax refunds. Akande was also ordered to pay restitution and will serve supervised release after his prison term.
What happened
- Matthew A. Akande was sentenced to eight years in prison by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston and ordered to pay $1,393,230 in restitution.
- Akande was arrested in October 2024 at Heathrow Airport in the UK and extradited to the US on March 5, 2025.
- He was indicted in July 2022 on multiple charges, including conspiracy, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
- Between June 2016 and June 2021, Akande and others used phishing emails and malware to infiltrate Massachusetts tax preparation firms and steal personal information.
- The group filed more than 1,000 fraudulent tax returns seeking over $8.1 million, with over $1.3 million successfully paid out and laundered through accounts in the US and Mexico.
