U.S. Court Sentences Nigerian Yahoo Boy, Saheed Owolabi, to 15 Years for $1.5 Million Wire Fraud

Nigerian fraudster, Saheed Sunday Owolabi, has been sentenced to 15 years in a U.S. federal prison for his role in a $1.5 million wire fraud and money laundering scheme.

On Tuesday, a federal judge handed down the sentence after Mr. Owolabi was found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fr@udand conspiracy to commit money laundering, the U.S. Department of Justice confirmed.

Investigations by the FBI revealed that Owolabi posed as a woman online to form fake romantic relationships with men in the United States, a tactic commonly known as a romance scam.

Through these fabricated relationships, he persuaded victims to transfer funds into his accounts, which he then laundered back to Nigeria.

Authorities also found that Owolabi, along with accomplices, used victims’ bank accounts to move funds from other fraudulent schemes, stealing over $120,000 from one victim in the eastern U.S., among numerous others.