A Nigerian man, identified as Chukwuemeka Victor Amachukwu, has officially been extradited to the United States (U.S.) from France to face serious charges related to cybercrime activities, including hacking, identity theft, and fraud schemes involving millions of dollars.
According to detailed statements from U.S. authorities, Amachukwu — who also goes by the aliases Chukwuemeka Victor Eletuo and So Kwan Leung — was reportedly a key member of an international cybercriminal network. This group is accused of launching spearphishing email campaigns targeting tax preparation businesses across several U.S. states, including New York and Texas.
These malicious emails enabled the group to infiltrate business systems and steal sensitive personal information belonging to thousands of unsuspecting clients.
Using the stolen identities, the conspirators then filed numerous fraudulent tax returns, aiming to collect over $8.4 million in refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and various state tax agencies. Out of this, they succeeded in receiving at least $2.5 million in illicit refunds.
In addition to the tax fraud, U.S. prosecutors revealed that Amachukwu and his associates exploited the Small Business Administration’s COVID-19 loan program. They allegedly submitted falsified applications and managed to secure another $819,000 in government funds during the pandemic period.
Furthermore, Amachukwu is accused of running a separate investment fraud scheme in which he offered victims fake financial opportunities involving non-existent standby letters of credit. He allegedly convinced multiple individuals to invest substantial amounts, resulting in millions of dollars in losses for the victims.
Acting on a request from U.S. authorities, French law enforcement officials arrested Amachukwu. Following his extradition to the United States, he was brought before a federal magistrate judge in New York. The case has since been assigned to U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe.
Now 39 years old, Amachukwu faces several federal charges, including conspiracy to commit computer intrusions, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. If convicted, he could face a lengthy prison sentence under U.S. federal law.