Two Nigerians, Shodiya Babatunde (43) and Jamui Ahmed (31), have been indicted by the United States for their alleged involvement in a $13 million fraudulent business email scheme targeting healthcare companies in Minnesota.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota announced the charges on Thursday, 26 September, 2024 revealing that the two suspects, along with co-conspirators, siphoned millions intended for Fairview Health into accounts under their control.
According to U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger, Babatunde and Ahmed manipulated unsuspecting employees of several Minnesota-based healthcare firms, deceiving them into redirecting payments to fraudulent accounts.
The scheme, which spanned from October 2020 to 2024, involved the creation of fake internet domains and email accounts impersonating top Fairview Health executives.
“As part of the scheme, Babatunde and Ahmed created a fake ‘spoofed’ internet domain designed to appear as though it was controlled by Fairview Health,” Luger said.
The duo used these fake accounts to carry out phishing attacks, acquiring sensitive information such as passwords and account details from vendors.
The statement added, “Unbeknownst to the vendor companies, the new accounts were actually controlled by Babatunde and Ahmed and their co-conspirators, not Fairview Health.
“In total, Babatunde and Ahmed fraudulently directed more than $13m in payments intended for Fairview Health from Minnesota-based healthcare companies to accounts controlled by Babatunde, Ahmed, and their co-conspirators.”
Babatunde and Ahmed have since fled and are currently fugitives from justice, residing in Nigeria.
