Olamide Shanu, a 35‑year‑old Nigerian national, pleaded guilty in a U.S. court to a $2.5 million sextortion and romance fraud scheme that targeted 150 Americans.
According to court filings, Shanu was charged with orchestrating a large‑scale online operation that lured victims into intimate relationships and then demanded money in exchange for not releasing compromising material.
The prosecution said the scheme resulted in a total loss of $2.5 million for the victims, who were all U.S. residents. Shanu’s guilty plea marks the conclusion of a case that has attracted attention in both the United States and Nigeria.
Details of the investigation and the specific methods used in the fraud were not disclosed in the public statements released by the authorities.
The information was reported by Punch Nigeria, which has covered the case since the court proceedings began.
<small>Source: Punch Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>