International

3 Nigerians jailed in US for multi-million dollar fraud

Published

1 year ago

August 31, 2023

3 Nigerians jailed in US for multi-million dollar fraud

Three Nigerian men who preyed on the elderly and vulnerable in an international multi-million-dollar inheritance scam have been jailed for more than 21 years after they were extradited to the United States.

The men, all in their forties, lived across South London and committed the fraud by sending unexpected personalised letters to elderly victims in the United States, London News Online reports.

The letters falsely claimed that the sender was a representative of a bank in Spain and that the recipient was entitled to receive a multi-million-dollar inheritance left by a family member who had died years before in Portugal.

Victims were then persuaded to pay charges and costs to release the fake assets.

Thousands of victims, mostly in the United States, were targeted and the National Crime Agency (NCA) said fraud worth millions of dollars has already been identified, South London Press Reports.

Jonathan Iheanyichukwu Abraham, 44, Emmanuel Samuel, 44, and Jerry Chucks Ozor, 43, were arrested in an unspecified location in South London by NCA officers in April 2022.

Between them, the men will have to pay back more than $20 million (£15.7 million) in restitution orders – an order directing an offender to pay back victims for some or all of the money taken.

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All three men were sentenced at a court in Miami, United States.

Abraham, of Cumberland Place, Hither Green, was sentenced to seven years and six months, Samuel, of Longhurst Road, Croydon, was jailed for six years and 10 months, while Ozor, Wadhurst Court, Penge, was jailed for seven years and three months.

The NCA’s Complex Financial Crime Team worked with US partners, as well as the Crown Prosecution Service and the Home Office, to secure their extraditions earlier this year.

Further suspects with a role in the fraud were arrested by Spanish authorities in Madrid, while linked enforcement activity also took place in Portugal.

Two defendants were arrested in Spain and extradited from there. Both pleaded guilty and will be sentenced in October.

Gary Cathcart, head of financial investigation at the NCA, said: “This was a transnational, high-harm fraud, where a dispersed network of ruthless criminals worked together to identify and target victims, inflicting life-changing damage to vulnerable people.

“International cooperation is essential to tackle such criminals; by working with our partners we can disrupt fraud and better protect the public.”

A spokesman for the NCA said: “Millions of people are targeted by scam messages, letters or phone calls like this every year.

“So if something seems suspicious or unexpected, such as requests for money or information, contact the organisation directly to check.

“Use contact details from their official website, not those given in the message, letter, email or a telephone call.”

International

American man arrested for beating tourist to death at Ireland hotel

Published

12 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

American man arrested for beating tourist to death at Ireland hotel

A 30 year old American man whose name was not given by security officials, has been arrested for beating up a 60 year old tourist to death at the Ballyfin Demesne hotel in Laois, Ireland.

The Irish police force commonly known as ‘Garda that the incident occurred in the late hours of Tuesday, November 12.

Ballyfin Demesne hotel, is a popular luxury five-star hotel located in Laois, Ireland and special guests such as Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, George Clooney e.t.c had made use of the hotel in times past.

The victim was discovered unconscious in the late hours of Tuesday, November 12 and was then rushed to the hospital were he died due to severe beating inflicted on him by the culprit.

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Independent local councilor James Kelly stated that nearby communities were ‘stunned’ upon learning about the incident at the renowned hotel.

He said, “There would be a lot of staff from the area and they’re totally shocked by what has happened here.

“It’s something we didn’t think we’d be waking up to this morning.”

The police also noted that a senior officer has been assigned to lead the investigation and an incident room has been set up at Portlaoise Garda Station, Ireland.

Furthermore, a family liaison officer will be designated to assist the family of the deceased.

International

FBI raids home of crypto platform Polymarket CEO, after accurate prediction of Trump win

Published

20 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

FBI raids home of crypto platform Polymarket CEO, after accurate prediction of Trump win

The Federal Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday carried out a raid at the home of Shayne Coplan, CEO of cryptocurrency prediction outlet Polymarket.

Authorities seized Mr Coplan’s phone during the raid, according to New York Post which first reported the incident.

Mr Coplan, 26, has been running the famous platform for bets throughout the 2024 presidential election in the United States.

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It wasn’t immediately clear why the search was conducted, but Polymarket promptly said it might be due to its activities during the election. Users on the platform had correctly predicted Donald Trump was going to defeat Kamala Harris. The company paid out a substantial amount to winners following the election.

“This is obvious political retribution by the outgoing administration against Polymarket for providing a market that correctly called the 2024 presidential election,” a spokesperson for Polymarket said in a statement from its headquarters in New York. “Polymarket is a fully transparent prediction market that helps everyday people better understand the events that matter most to them, including elections.”

It was unclear whether or not the FBI would be filing charges after the raid.

FBI raids home of crypto platform Polymarket CEO, after accurate prediction of Trump win

International

Two dead, buildings destroyed in American factory explosion

Published

1 day ago

November 13, 2024

Trends Admin

Two dead, buildings destroyed in American factory explosion

Two employees of Givaudan sense colour, a factory known for making colourings for beverages, located in Louisville, Kentucky, United States (US) were killed in an explosion that took place at the company’s facility.

The factory reported that the incident which took place on Tuesday, November 12 in the afternoon have also destroyed buildings around the company.

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Louisville Mayor, Craig Greenberg stated that firefighters managed to rescue and evacuate numerous individuals from the site, including some who sustained life-threatening injuries.

He also confirmed that all employees present at the plant during the explosion have been accounted for.

Earlier reports indicated that at least 11 workers were hospitalized.

The cause of the explosion is still under investigation.