The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has filed a civil forfeiture complaint against a Nigerian, Ehiremen Aigbokhan, accused of stealing over ₦460 million in cryptocurrency intended for the inauguration of President Donald Trump in January 2025.
According to court documents, Aigbokhan allegedly orchestrated a sophisticated Business Email Compromise (BEC) scheme from Lagos, Nigeria. The operation involved creating spoofed email addresses that closely resembled those of officials on the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee.
Investigators said the suspects used a nearly identical email address, substituting a lowercase “L” for an uppercase “I”, to impersonate committee co-chair Steve Witkoff. The deception led a donor to transfer 250,300 USDT.ETH (a cryptocurrency pegged to the U.S. dollar) on December 26, 2024.
Authorities reported that the funds, valued at more than ₦400 million at the time, were quickly dispersed to multiple digital wallets. The FBI, working with cryptocurrency company Tether, froze the accounts on December 31 after identifying suspicious transactions.
Further forensic analysis traced the activity to Lagos, with login records linking the fraudulent wallet to a Binance account registered by Aigbokhan in October 2024. Officials noted the account had no prior deposits before receiving the stolen funds.
In total, U.S. authorities seized 20,017 USDT.ETH from Aigbokhan’s wallet and another 20,336 USDT.ETH from a connected wallet, together worth over ₦60 million.
The U.S. Department of Justice is now seeking court approval to permanently forfeit the digital assets. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Blaylock Jr., who is prosecuting the case, confirmed that Aigbokhan also faces charges related to money laundering and wire fraud.
The FBI has not disclosed whether extradition proceedings have begun but described the case as one of the most significant cybercrimes linked to a U.S. presidential event.
The incident has renewed calls for stricter cybersecurity measures in political fundraising and underscored the growing threat posed by international cybercriminal networks.
Officials urged donors and organizations to verify email communications and carefully check payment details before authorizing large transfers.–
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