A United States federal court has sentenced a Nigerian national to eight years in prison for orchestrating a sophisticated cyber fraud operation that defrauded the American government of more than $1.3 million (£1.04 million) through fraudulent tax filings.
Matthew Akande, 37, was sentenced on Tuesday by US District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston. In addition to his custodial sentence, Akande has been ordered to pay $1,393,230 in restitution and will undergo three years of supervised release upon the completion of his prison term.
The sentencing follows a cross-border law enforcement effort. Akande, who had been residing in Mexico, was apprehended at Heathrow Airport in the United Kingdom in October 2024 at the request of US authorities. Following his arrest, he was extradited to the United States on 5 March 2025.
A federal grand jury had previously indicted Akande in July 2022 on a litany of charges, including conspiracy, wire fraud, unauthorised access to protected computers, theft of government funds, and aggravated identity theft.
According to evidence presented by prosecutors, Akande and his accomplices operated a sustained phishing campaign between June 2016 and June 2021. The group targeted tax preparation firms across Massachusetts, using deceptive emails disguised as enquiries from prospective clients.
These “Trojan horse” emails were designed to trick staff into installing malicious software, specifically the “Warzone RAT” (Remote Access Trojan). Once installed, the malware granted the conspirators unauthorised access to computer networks, allowing them to harvest clients’ personally identifiable information and records from previous tax years.
The US government statement clarified the scale of the malfeasance: “Akande worked with others to steal money from the United States government using taxpayers’ personally identifiable information to file fraudulent tax returns in the taxpayers’ names.”
In total, the syndicate submitted more than 1,000 fraudulent tax returns, aggressively seeking over $8.1 million in refunds. While the total attempted fraud exceeded $8 million, the group successfully siphoned off $1.3 million.
The illicit funds were funnelled into bank accounts opened by co-conspirators within the United States. These associates withdrew the proceeds in cash, subsequently transferring portions of the stolen funds to third parties in Mexico under Akande’s direct instruction.
The conviction marks a significant victory for international cyber-crime investigators, highlighting the reaching arm of federal law in prosecuting digital financial crimes.
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