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Two Nigerian international fraudsters, Nosakhare Nobore and Solomon Aluko, have been arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for creating a ‘Fraud Bible’ to orchestrate large-scale scams aimed at defrauding the U.S. government and its citizens.
%20from%20Americans.png "FBI Arrests Two Nigerians for Inventing 'Fraud Bible' to Steal $50M from U.S. Citizens")
The duo was involved in a nationwide scheme that successfully stole an estimated $50 million (approximately ₦76.5bn as of March 21) from U.S. citizens, particularly in a COVID-19 benefits scam. A four-count criminal indictment was unsealed on Thursday by Matthew Podolsky, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, revealing that the pair were part of a gang responsible for the theft.
The indictment accused Nobore and Aluko, based in New Jersey, of masterminding fraud operations targeting U.S. citizens through fraudulent checks and identity theft. These checks were laundered across multiple cities within the U.S.
“We allege that the defendants stole tens of millions of dollars in COVID-19 relief and other checks, and even used a ‘Fraud Bible’ containing instructions for committing fraud,” said Podolsky. “This Office will not tolerate the exploitation of programs designed to support the public in times of crisis, and we will hold those responsible fully accountable.”
The scheme ran from 2021 to 2025, involving five other individuals — Jorge Gonzalez, Leonard Ujkic, Nicholas Pappas, and Shan Anand — all charged in the case. The total amount allegedly stolen reached $80 million, although only $50 million was successfully laundered by the group.
As part of their fraudulent efforts, the accused set up a Telegram group called ‘2021 Fraud Bible’ where they openly discussed their illegal activities. The ‘Fraud Bible’ was a blueprint for others looking to replicate their fraud techniques.
The fraudsters specialized in stealing identities and using them to open fake bank accounts, thanks to one of the suspects, a bank teller at a major U.S. financial institution. These fake accounts allowed them to deposit counterfeit checks or fraudulently obtained checks linked to government relief funds, such as those from the IRS for Employee Retention Credits (ERC) and Qualified Sick Leave Wages (QSLW).
The stolen funds, mostly COVID-19 relief money, were then either withdrawn in cash or transferred to accounts controlled by the criminals. While they targeted up to $80 million, they managed to steal $50 million over four years.
Each suspect faces severe charges, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government. The charges also include a mandatory sentence of two years for aggravated identity theft, with a potential sentence of up to 30 years in prison.
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