According to officials, a Nigerian citizen residing in Maryland was sentenced to eight years in federal prison for running a fraud scheme that targeted the elderly.
According to the Department of Justice, 35-year-old Oluwaseyi Akinyemi, also known as “Paddy Linkin” and “Joseph Kadin,” operated the social media scam from July 2018 to April 2019, promising victims nonexistent financial rewards if they sent cash, money orders, or gift cards to cover fraudulent “taxes and fees.”
Akinyemi and at least one additional co-conspirator posed as actual and phoney government institutions and impersonated the victim’s friends and family on social media to make the scheme appear more plausible to their elderly targets.
Officials stated that Akinyemi would use aliases to collect shipments containing money and would retain a portion of the monies before transmitting the remainder to Nigerian conspirators.
The Nigerian national admitted that the scheme robbed a total of $478,145.07 from at least 13 victims ranging in age from 47 to 78 from across the United States.
In one incident, a 78-year-old victim from Texas got a grant application purporting to be from the federal government. It was reported that he had been authorized for a $100,000 grant, but he had to pay taxes and fees to collect the money.
The victim subsequently wired money to Akinyemi and his accomplices and obtained phoney certifications impersonating the Internal Revenue Service. According to the Department of Justice, the victim sent around $80,000 during the scheme.
A 71-year-old victim in Indiana got a message about a “Strengthening Community Fund” from a person posing as a high school acquaintance, according to prosecutors. The imposter told the victim that they had previously gotten funding from the program and urged them to apply.
The second victim contributed the conspirators a total of approximately $50,000, expecting they would receive an $80,000 award.
Prosecutors stated that a check of Akinyemi’s phone revealed images of tracking numbers and monetary amounts, a receipt for a money order, and discussions with conspirators outlining the share of the proceeds Akinyemi would receive for his involvement in the conspiracy.
After providing money to Akinyemi and his accomplices, at least five victims endured significant financial trouble.
Prosecutors added that Akinyemi and his accomplices fraudulently obtained unemployment and CARES Act COVID-19-related payments beginning in December 2020 by filing bogus unemployment claims in the identities of living and deceased Maryland and Arizona victims.
According to officials, Akinyemi would use aliases to collect money shipments and keep a portion of the proceeds before transferring the remainder to Nigerian conspirators.
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Akinyemi’s Washington, D.C. nursing care client’s address was used to file nine claims for unemployment insurance.
In total, Akinyemi and his co-conspirators utilized the identities of 19 real individuals to file bogus CARES Act unemployment insurance and PUA claims, resulting in a loss of more than $7,000 in state and federal benefits.
Akinyemi has been sentenced to make restitution to his victims for $486,119.07
