Nigerian Man Sentenced to More Than 8 Years for Multimillion-Dollar Inheritance Fraud Targeting Elderly Americans

A Nigerian national was sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison for orchestrating a years-long inheritance fraud scheme that defrauded hundreds of elderly Americans out of millions of dollars, the Justice Department announced.

Tochukwu Albert Nnebocha, 44, pleaded guilty in November 2025 to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud. A federal court sentenced him to 97 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered him to pay more than $6.8 million in restitution to victims.

According to prosecutors, Nnebocha and his co-conspirators operated a transnational fraud scheme for more than seven years that targeted vulnerable people across the United States. The group mailed hundreds of thousands of personalized letters to elderly victims, falsely claiming the sender represented a bank in Spain and that the recipient was entitled to a multimillion-dollar inheritance from a deceased relative.

Victims were told they needed to pay various fees — including taxes and delivery costs — before the inheritance could be released. In reality, the inheritance did not exist. Authorities said the scheme defrauded more than 400 victims of over $6 million.

Nnebocha was arrested in Poland in April 2025 and extradited to the United States in September following coordination between U.S. and Polish authorities.

The case is the second indictment tied to the international fraud ring. Eight co-conspirators from the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal and Nigeria have already been convicted and sentenced for their roles in the scheme.

Federal officials urged victims of financial fraud — particularly adults aged 60 or older — to report incidents through the National Elder Fraud Hotline, which provides assistance and connects victims with appropriate reporting agencies and resources.

Romanian Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Access to Oregon Government Network

A Romanian national has pleaded guilty in federal court to hacking into a computer network belonging to an Oregon state government office and selling access to the system along with other compromised U.S. networks, the Justice Department said.

Catalin Dragomir, 45, formerly of Constanta, Romania, admitted to obtaining unauthorized access to a computer on the network of an Oregon state government office in June 2021 and later selling that access to another individual, according to court documents.

During negotiations with the prospective buyer, Dragomir provided samples of personal identifying information taken from the compromised computer to demonstrate the value of the intrusion, prosecutors said.

Authorities said Dragomir also sold access to computer networks belonging to several other victims in the United States, causing at least $250,000 in financial losses.

Dragomir was arrested in Romania in November 2024 and extradited to the United States in January 2025. He pleaded guilty to one count of obtaining information from a protected computer and one count of aggravated identity theft.

He is scheduled to be sentenced May 26, 2026, and faces up to five years in prison for the computer intrusion charge, followed by a mandatory consecutive two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft. A federal judge will determine the final sentence after considering federal sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

Six More Charged in International ATM ‘Jackpotting’ Scheme Linked to Venezuelan Gang

Federal prosecutors have indicted six more individuals in a broad conspiracy that utilized malware to compel ATMs to dispense cash, a crime referred to as “ATM jackpotting.” This brings the total number of defendants in the case to 93, as announced by the Justice Department.

A federal grand jury in Nebraska has charged Wester Eduardo Dugarte Goicochea, 43; Mauro Angel Briceno Caldera, 37; Henry Rafael Gonzalez-Gutierrez, 37; Giovanny Miguel Ocanto Yance, 26; Jelfenson David Bolivar Diaz, 38; and Arlinzon Jose Reyes Villegas, 21. All six are nationals of Venezuela, with several residing in the Houston area during the time of the alleged crimes.

The indictment includes five counts, such as conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank burglary and computer fraud, bank fraud, bank burglary, and damage to protected computers.

Prosecutors claim that the scheme involved the installation of malicious software on ATMs, enabling the machines to dispense large sums of cash on demand. Authorities report that each jackpotting attempt resulted in losses exceeding $100,000 for financial institutions, with total confirmed losses exceeding $6 million and an additional $1.74 million in attempted thefts.

Investigators assert that the operation is connected to Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan transnational criminal organization that began as a prison gang and has since expanded its activities throughout the Western Hemisphere, including the United States.

A prior indictment issued in December 2025 alleged that members of this group executed jackpotting attacks across the nation and transferred the proceeds among themselves to obscure the origins of the funds. Some defendants in that case also faced charges of conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Earlier indictments from October 2025 and January 2026 implicated dozens more defendants in relation to the same scheme. Prosecutors report that a total of 93 alleged members and associates of the criminal organization have now been charged.

If found guilty, the newly indicted defendants could face prison sentences that range from 20 years to as long as 335 years.

Authorities indicate that the group executed ATM attacks across several states as part of a nationwide conspiracy aimed at stealing cash from financial institutions.

The investigation is spearheaded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Omaha Field Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations in Omaha, with support from various federal, state, and local agencies.

The prosecution is being handled by the U.S. Department of Justice Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska, and Joint Task Force Vulcan, a federal task force initially established to tackle transnational gangs.

An indictment represents an allegation, and the defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

FTC Warns Consumers About Rise in Fake Rental Listings and Online Scams

Federal officials are warning consumers to be cautious when searching for apartments or vacation rentals online, as scammers increasingly use fake listings to steal money and personal information.

According to new analysis from the Federal Trade Commission, consumers have reported nearly 65,000 rental scams since 2020, with total losses reaching about $65 million. Many of the scams begin with fraudulent advertisements on online marketplaces and social media platforms.

Authorities say scammers often copy photos and descriptions from legitimate rental listings and repost them with altered contact information, allowing the fraudster to pose as a landlord or rental agent.

When potential renters contact the listing, the scammer may ask for application fees, security deposits, the first month’s rent or vacation rental payments. After receiving the money, the scammer disappears, leaving victims without a property to rent.

The FTC said fake listings frequently appear on popular platforms such as Facebook and Craigslist. About half of the people who reported rental scams during the 12 months ending in June 2025 said the fraud began with an advertisement on Facebook.

Young adults appear to be particularly vulnerable. Consumers between the ages of 18 and 29 were three times more likely than older adults to report losing money to rental scams, according to the agency.

Officials say scammers often advertise properties with unusually low rents or attractive amenities to draw interest. When prospective renters ask to view the property, the scammer may claim to be out of the country or otherwise unable to show the unit in person.

Victims are often pressured to act quickly and send money using methods such as wire transfers, gift cards or cryptocurrency. The FTC warns that payments made through those methods are difficult or impossible to recover once sent.

Some schemes also attempt to gather personal information, including Social Security numbers, driver’s license information or pay stubs, which can later be used for identity theft. In other cases, scammers encourage victims to complete a low-cost online credit check through affiliate links that may enroll them in recurring paid memberships.

Consumer protection officials recommend verifying listings by searching the property address online and comparing multiple advertisements for the same location. Listings that show different prices or contact information may signal a scam.

The FTC also advises renters to view a property in person or through a trusted representative before paying any fees, verify the identity of the property owner or manager, and avoid sharing personal information until a lease agreement has been confirmed.

Officials say consumers should be especially cautious if a landlord demands payment through wire transfers, gift cards or cryptocurrency, warning that such requests are a common indicator of fraud.