Nigerian man extradited from France to U.S. over multi-million dollar cyber fraud

Chukwuemeka Victor Amachukwu, a Nigerian, has been extradited from France to the United States to face charges of hacking, identity theft, and wire fraud that allegedly defrauded U.S. tax authorities and victims of millions of dollars.

U.S. officials, including the Southern District of New York’s U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton and FBI Assistant Director Christopher Raia, confirmed the extradition on Tuesday. Amachukwu, 39, who also uses other names like Chukwuemeka Victor Eletuo and So Kwan Leung, appeared before a magistrate judge shortly after arriving in the U.S. His case will be handled by U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe.

Court documents show that since 2019, Amachukwu and his partners, many believed to be in Nigeria, targeted U.S. tax preparation firms. They used spearphishing emails to break into electronic systems, stealing sensitive tax and personal data from thousands of people. This stolen information was then used to file fake tax returns to claim over $8.4 million in fraudulent refunds, successfully collecting at least $2.5 million.

The group also abused COVID-19 relief programs by submitting false claims to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, obtaining around $819,000 in illegitimate funds.

Additionally, Amachukwu reportedly scammed victims by promising high returns on nonexistent financial instruments called standby letters of credit, stealing millions in the process.

His arrest was a result of a joint operation between the FBI, U.S. Marshals, the Justice Department’s international office, and French police. FBI official Christopher Raia emphasized that scammers hiding behind their keyboards won’t escape justice.

Amachukwu faces multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit computer intrusions, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft, each carrying severe prison terms.

While prosecutors treat these as allegations until proven in court, this case shows the U.S. government’s ongoing crackdown on international cybercrime and fraud schemes.