A romance fraud scheme allegedly drained more than $1.3 million from a City of Norfolk bank account after victims were manipulated into moving money for the scammers.
Federal prosecutors say Nigerian national Habeeb Anibaba was indicted in connection with a scheme that targeted the City of Norfolk’s corporate bank account through hundreds of fraudulent transactions, reports 13News Now.
Court documents cited by the station say the fraud lasted nearly a year and involved more than 900 unauthorized ACH transfers from the city’s account. Authorities say the money was moved through victims who believed they were helping romantic partners they met online.
The report says at least six women between the ages of 20 and 30 were allegedly convinced to transfer money after communicating with individuals posing as romantic interests on dating platforms.
Prosecutors say the victims were instructed to move funds into other accounts, purchase gift cards and transfer cryptocurrency
According to court filings, Norfolk officials discovered the fraud after the city’s bank detected suspicious activity tied to the account. The city then contacted the FBI and worked with investigators to trace the transactions.
13News Now reports that investigators have not publicly explained how the city’s banking information was initially obtained. Authorities say the United States is seeking Anibaba’s extradition from the United Kingdom, where he was arrested.
The report also says the City of Norfolk recovered a substantial portion of the stolen money through cooperation with financial institutions and federal investigators, though losses tied to the scheme exceeded $1.3 million.
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