The United States government has sanctioned six Nigerians for conducting an elaborate online scheme to steal more than $6 million from its citizens across the United States.
The US Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo, in a statement issued on Tuesday, said that the six individuals designated on Tuesday manipulated their victims to gain access to their sensitive information and financial resources.
He noted that technological advancements that provide greater interconnectivity also offer greater opportunity for exploitation by malicious actors who target at-risk Americans.
However, the US government did not disclose the identities of the Nigerians involved in the scam.
It stated: “Today (Tuesday), in coordination with the U.S. Department of Justice, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control took action against six Nigerian nationals, pursuant to Executive Order 13694 as amended, for conducting an elaborate online scheme to steal more than $6 million from victims across the United States.
“The six individuals designated today manipulated their victims to gain access to their sensitive information and financial resources. The U.S will not tolerate such gross misuse of technology.
“The United States will use all of the tools at our disposal to defend the American people and businesses from malign actors that seek to target them, including cyber-enabled actors who prey on vulnerable Americans and businesses.”
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